By Martha Briana
Woodcuts are a simple printing process with a direct and decisive flavor. Rarely do I abandon
a whole woodblock or glue pieces on, rather my mistakes become incorporated into the altered
original idea.These woodcut prints are all hand pulled by pressing rice paper to the block and rubbing
the back with a flat spoon. I achieve the different colors by reduction. This means the block is carved
with each color added, thus the block is progressively changed or reduced. This method
can only produce limited editions because the original block will only print the final state when done.
This saves on multiple blocks of wood and has the unique quality of making and destroying the
mold all in one. This suits me, as I am more interested in coming up with new imagery than
printing an edition for the second time. I tend to make about 8 to 10 prints for an edition. All the wood
that I carve is pine and it makes for a highly sensitive soft surface. You can literally press your fingernail
into the top and that will be enough of a dent to resist ink. Pine wood as a medium isn’t too stiff either,
you can carve across the grain fairly easily too. Any tool besides the traditional gouges adds to the mark
making as well. In some of these prints I have used a cheap electric engraver to vary the lines.
I print mostly on rice paper, the fibers are strong and soft, porous enough to pick up the ink without
much pressure.
All the imagery comes from the violin body and headstock. These forms are mostly organic curves
and have an appeal of ornamental decorative design as in the fleur de lis or baroque furniture. I take
this motif and reconstruct novel arrangements that play and invite. I like the comparison of music
being arrangements of notes in particular patterns to visual compositions being arrangements of forms
in space. The violin comes to us as an art object ornately crafted and sensual, provoking the senses by
sight and sound. My woodcuts are art made out of art, layers upon layers of art, of creation, noise,
vibration, and destruction all speaking the frenetic energy of life.
Thanks for looking.
Martha Briana