#ass4

Deranged Kid (Hosai Baido, 1968-1912), Fireman of Tokyo (Kunichika Toyohara, 1868-1912), Dragon Tattoo (Kunisada Utagawa, 1786-1865), 108 Heroes of Suikoden - Tattooed Zhang Shun (Kunisada Utagawa,1786-1865), The Most Popular Actors in Edo, Their Portraits and Their Voices - Tattooed kabuki actor (Kunisada Utagawa 1786-1865), Zhang Shun, the White Streak in the Waves (Kunisada Utagawa,1827-30).

Printmaking and Tattoos

For assignment four the it asks that you consider objects that are symbolic of important to you or capture what is important to you. Although it may seem superficial to some, my tattoos are very important to my sense of self. My tattoos identify me. Without clothes, my hair, jewellery etc, I still look like me when I look in the mirror. I need to consider how I may include my tattoos within my self portrait and wanted to explore other artists who have done so. 

There is a long history of crossover between printmaking and tattooing. In the above Japanese woodcuts from the Edo and Meiji period, the characters pictured are adorned with tattoos. The two mediums developed side by side as the woodblock printing exposed more people to images of tattooed heroes causing tattooing to increase in popularity. Woodblock artists and tattooists were often affiliated with each other some printmakers becoming tattooists themselves as there were shared methods and tools between the two practices.  The terms for traditional Japanese tattooing include Horimono (彫り物, 彫物) which means the carving of images and Irezumi (入れ墨) insetting of ink. The term ‘Horishi’ is used for both tattoo artists and woodblock printers and translates to ‘carvers’.

Traditional woodblock printing tools (Bull, n.d.)

Kyumonryu Shishin (Tsukioka Yoshitoshi 1868) Woodcut print depicting 18th Century Tattooing technique called ‘tebori’ wherein a set of needles is attached to a bamboo rod is rhythmically tapped into the skin depositing ink. 

Traditional tattooing (Western and Eastern) uses strong line work and contrast. This is not only a stylistic choice but a practical one as bold lines help give form to colour which is more likely to fade. This aesthetic transfers well to reduction printing and many contemporary tattoo artists have explored the medium. 

Alex Binnie

Alex Binnie is renown tattoo industry and an essential part of the history of the UK tattoo scene opening the first fully custom studio, Into You in 1993. Binnie’s specialism is blackwork which is characterised by strong bold line work with traditional subjects and and patterns from ancient tattooing practices (Samoan, Maori, Tibetan, Japanese, Filipino, Thai, Taiwanese, Polynesian and Indian).

This understanding of positive and negative, black line, can be seen within his detailed woodcut prints. His is especially skilled at depicting tattooed skin, the tattoos appearing as part of the skin rather than sitting on top like a sticker. This is achieved by creating texture on the skin, rather than clearing the whole area so that it is bright white, creating a greater depth of tone. Should I wish to depict my tattoos in a realistic way this is technique would be something to bear in mind. 

Mark Jelliman

Jelliman has a distinct style and his Japanese influenced tattoos resemble conventional printmaking techniques, in particular the the use of parallel lines to depict tone and curved form. 

Jelliman’s linoprints are very similar to his tattooing although more symmetrical and uniform in shape (geometric shapes don’t work very well on the body as they wrap and warp). Within his printing he uses denser areas of black but continues with the parallel lines. I think his prints are beautiful and I really enjoy them however the techniques aren't suitable for depicting my own tattoos as they are high colour traditional and illustrative in design.

Martha Smith

Smith’s tattooing style is much finer than the previous two artists. Within her bolder outline (good for tattoo longevity) she uses delicate dotwork to create  depth. This would be extremely difficult to replicate this with carving into lino or wood but perhaps it could be achieved with etching with a fine tool. 

Unlike her tattoos Smith’s printing is bolder and uses stronger contrast. The addition of colour in the design of the tattooed woman is an interesting approach, the colour moving outside of the linework and even outside of the figure itself. The female torso print uses a similar technique to the portraits to Alex Binnie, using a range of fine lines to add additional depth of tone. 

Sue Van Gageldonk

Van Gageldonk tattoos have a very print-like quality with high contrast and a good balance of black and white. Whereas the other artists I’ve looked at tend to keep their printmaking and tattoo work separate, Gageldonk uses one medium to influence the other, tattooing images that she created initially for prints adjusting them only slightly. 

The links between the two mediums are longstanding and nuanced. Don Ed Hardy, known for his development of modern tattooing initially studied and worked a printmaker. I want to consider the relationship between the two and how I can incorporate it into my work. I'm unsure about how to depict my own tattoos within my self portrait and I need to explore the best way to do so. 

References

Alexbinnie.com. n.d. Alex Binnie. [online] Available at: <http://www.alexbinnie.com> [Accessed 25 August 2021].

Bull, D., n.d. Encyclopedia of Woodblock Printmaking : Yoshida - Japanese Woodblock Printing : Chapter II : Part II. [online] Woodblock.com. Available at: <http://www.woodblock.com/encyclopedia/entries/011_07/chap_2b.html> [Accessed 20 August 2021].

Egenolf Gallery Japanese Prints. 2021. Egenolf Gallery Japanese Prints. [online] Available at: <https://egenolfgallery.com/> [Accessed 20 August 2021].

En.wikipedia.org. n.d. Irezumi. [online] Available at: <https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irezumi> [Accessed 20 August 2021].

Etsy. n.d. Sue Van Gageldonk Etsy Shop. [online] Available at: <https://www.etsy.com/shop/suevangageldonk> [Accessed 24 August 2021].

Horisumi.com. n.d. [online] Available at: <https://www.horisumi.com/tebori/> [Accessed 20 August 2021].

Howerton, R., 2017. The Art of Tebori — Creating Traditional Japanese Tattoos the Old Way. [online] Tattoodo. Available at: <https://www.tattoodo.com/articles/the-art-of-tebori-creating-traditional-japanese-tattoos-the-old-way-13410> [Accessed 20 August 2021].

Iamfy.co. n.d. Martha Smith Tattoo Shopfy. [online] Available at: <https://www.iamfy.co/shop/martha-smith-tattoo> [Accessed 24 August 2021].

Japan House (Los Angeles). n.d. The Process of Woodblock Printing. [online] Available at: <https://www.japanhousela.com/exhibitions/nature-supernature/process-of-woodblock-printing/> [Accessed 20 August 2021].

Jelliman, M., n.d. [online] Marktattooist.com. Available at: <https://www.marktattooist.com/> [Accessed 24 August 2021].

Jelliman, M., n.d. Mark Tattooist. [online] Instagram.com. Available at: <https://www.instagram.com/marktattooist> [Accessed 24 August 2021].

Museum of Fine Arts Boston. n.d. Object Number 260017, Woodblock Print. [online] Available at: <https://collections.mfa.org/objects/260017/> [Accessed 20 August 2021].

Smith, M., 2021. [online] Martha Smith Tattoo. Available at: <https://www.instagram.com/marthasmithtattoo/> [Accessed 24 August 2021].

Van Gageldonk, S., n.d. Sue Van Gageldonk. [online] Instagram.com. Available at: <https://www.instagram.com/suevangageldonk/> [Accessed 24 August 2021].

Von Huban, L., 2019. "Inserting Ink": the Hidden Ties Between Japanese Woodblock Prints and Traditional Tattoos. [online] Revere Auctions. Available at: <https://www.revereauctions.com/2019/03/22/inserting-ink-the-hidden-ties-between-japanese-woodblock-prints-and-traditional-tattoos/> [Accessed 20 August 2021].

Assignment Four: Portraits 

I started this assignment with a mind map to consider what objects or elements I could include within my self portrait. The one idea that really stuck out to me was including my tattoos. I was interested in how I could incorporate them within the print from both a compositional and technical standpoint. I wrote about this in more detail in a separate post.  

https://ramonaprintmakingtwo.tumblr.com/post/661472200924250112/tattoo

In my previous prints in part four I focused on a head and shoulders composition so I wanted to create an image that focuses on the full body. I wanted to body to fill the frame and looked at Matisse’s Blue Nudes for inspiration. 

The Nu Bleu series are constructed from painted paper cut-outs stuck to paper a mounted on canvas. The female form, seated with legs crosse,  fills the canvas in some instances being partially cut off by the parameters of the canvas in the case of Nu Bleu III. 

(Matisse, 1952)

‘GLENN LOWRY: Matisse’s cut-outs often appear effortless. But the work was arduous, and sometimes he struggled. This was especially true when he began creating the Blue Nudes. Jodi Hauptman:

JODI HAUPTMAN: His assistants describe pinning and unpinning and repinning and pinning again and cutting the bits of paper and building the figure out of bits and just not getting it right… for weeks and weeks.

GLENN LOWRY: In frustration, Matisse stopped cutting and turned to drawing. He sketched a seated female nude over and over’

(Henri Matisse. Blue Nude II. 1952 | MoMA, n.d.)

Inspired by Matisse I began to sketch my body in a semi abstract way focusing on filling the frame and the body shape. 

Initial sketches

To help me with the body positioning my made a basic cardboard split pin model which I could pose and bend into different positions. I preferred this to a traditional artists mannequin as I wanted to consider the body a two dimensional way. 

More sketches

The body positioning of this sketch is strong and I wanted to develop it further. I sketched another figure to the scale I wanted to print. 

In order to focus on the shape and form I decided to work with paper cutting.

Paper Cut Figure 

I moved the body parts around the paper but struggled to find a composition I was happy with. I returned to my sketchbook and eventually settled on a form that I liked. Although inspired by Nu Blu I wanted to ensure it wasn’t just my interpretation of an idea but developed to better represent me.  I carved both my body and additional limbs into the lino. My body is incredibly awkward. Being dyspraxic I often feel at a disconnect with my limbs as I walk into things or can’t seem to sync my brain to my hands. I have always been long, my arms and legs all over the place. By literally disconnecting the arms of my self portrait I want the viewer to gain a greater insight to my perception of self. 

Carved Layer

Test Print

Mono-printing

I wanted to explore using mono printing to include my tattoos in my self portrait. In Printmaking One I used an image transfer technique where a layer of acrylic is rolled onto a gel plate and a black and white image (printed on gloss paper) is pressed on the plate. The acrylic adheres to the negative space but not the black areas. Another layer of acrylic in a lighter contrasting colour is rolled over the top and the printing paper pressed to the plate lifting transferring all layers to the paper. 

Previous mono-printing experimentation

I wanted to see if the technique would work for transferring photos of my tattoos. I scanned and photographed my tattoos, ensuring high contrast. I collaged the images together ready to be printed onto gloss photography paper. 

Skin Scans

Edited images

Monoprint Experiments

Initial experiments with magazine pages came out fairly clearly however printing onto the fabric was unsuccessful. 

Tattoo monoprint tests.

Colour choice

People often comment on the juxtaposition of my clothing to my tattoos. The majority of the time I dress in all black and have done since my early teens, however, my tattoos are as colourful as possible. I love CYMK colour, I have used them in range of  pieces in printmaking in Part One and there is something that always draws me to the highly saturated colour scheme. In addition to this the colours have strong ties to printmaking and image reproduction which felt fitting to a self portrait. 

Monoprint Layer

I began creating my the monoprinted layer for the first part of the print. I tried to focus on building up the print in different areas however the impression of the tattoos was very weak. They were not coming through clearly and I was unable to get the impact that I wanted. 

Re-Design

Un-happy with how the monoprinted layers had turned out I decided to change the printing technique and create a linoprint. Using my tattoos I created a A3 composition where I collaged the various designs from across my body. 

This became possibly the most ambitious carve I had ever attempted. Not considering the complexity of the design but motivated by the subject and wanting to progress within the course I continued with the work. 

With the re-design of the background of the layer I began re thinking the body. This is definitely part of the problem of working on a piece for an extended period of time. My job has been particularly overwhelming in the last few months which gives me less time to physically create work but I think about it a lot. In this time I turn around the ideas over and over in my head which isn’t always productive! 

I returned to my sketch book and re-worked the body design especially considering the the new tattoo layer was bolder and filled the page. 

Additional Sketches

First Layer

Second Layer

Third Layer

Final Print

This print went through a few different versions and took a very long time to pull together. I’m unsure if this was just how the assignment panned out or if it was in part due to it being a self portrait and my sense of self clearly being not particularly clear. Despite the indecisiveness of this process I am happy with the final print. The body form in particular I like as when viewed landscape it looks almost graceful with a strong Matisse dancer influence however when switched to the intended portrait view it is clumsy and falling, much like I often am. 

References

Matisse, H., 1952. Nu bleu II. [Gouache, cut and glued on paper mounted on canvas].

Example gif from Studio90

Story Sphere

https://storyspheres.com/scene/G2QoXZi2

Momento 360

https://momento360.com/e/u/cc5177720eb14297b70920e7a26b3578