I decided to create a lino cut. I wanted the image to be of a hand as this is what I have been looking at a lot recently in regard to my subject matter of modern day child slavery. I am also looking at the idea of a marionette as a metaphor for the control and enforcement that is central to slavery. The marionette handle controls every movement that the marionette makes - this is very similar to slavery as the slave never has a say is his/her actions and its only up to the slave owner commands. The marionette is also a childrens toy, so this carried my message of child slavery.
So for this print I cut a marionette handle with strings attached to a hand. The hand is reaching out for help as it being control.
I did get rather carried away when cutting into the lino, and if I had to do it again, I would have created more tonal qualities/layers etc.
After this, I drew an image of a fist wrapped in barbed wire in my sketchbook.
I liked this drawing, and the barbed wire detail wrapping around, which is representing the pain and trapped feeling inflicted onto the victims of slavery.
I then created a 3 colour lino cut of this hand but I would have preferred a lot more of the detail and now think that an etching would have created a more desired look.
