Lithography.

For the first  3 weeks of Year 2 in printmaking, I have been learning how to lithograph. I got the the brief "Spaces, Structures and Systems". My first thought was deterioration and broken structures. Since you can only draw on the stone once, I wanted a simple image to represent this idea. I began looking at rotting apples, but after a few days of drawing them I found myself getting bored and it didnt seem to bring my ideas forward, only hold me back. I then began to focus more on broken structures, and I began looking at broken umbrellas. I founded these structures visually appealing to draw and I also liked the negative geometric shapes the skeleton of the umbrella created. I think this helps create my idea of broken structures more then the rotten apples. I'm looking at how as a society, we no longer have control of the "system", and slowly everything around us is breaking. In Limerick city itself, we can see many derelict buildings, broken windows, broken drainpipes, broken structures everywhere around us.

Sketchbook work

These are a few pieces from my sketchbook

Collagraph- Homeless prints No.2

For my 2nd collagraph, I created a side profile image of the homeless man , crouched in a corner of a dirty street. Beside him is a broken window to signify the harsh lifestyle he endures. I build this board using tissue, masking tape,paper, glue, carbrundum, and I also scratched into the surface with a knife. I used a bright yellow and black ink for contrast. The yellow colour is also reminiscent of the unnatural environment he lives in and the city lights. I then monoprinted phrased like "have a nice day anyways love" on top to bring my prints to life and add character.

Collagraphs- Homeless person No.1

For my collagraphs, I decided that I wanted to make prints the same size as my screen prints. This time I wanted to concentrate on the homeless people themselves. I build up my block with carborundum, glue, paper and also cut into the block, to give different texture. I printed the man himself in black and then print a rusting brown over, I experimented with what sections I wanted to keep brown.

Simple screen prints

For my screen prints I used a light grey for the background and blocked out the lines on the road on the screen using bitumen. I decided to experiment as I liked how the lines looked against the grey- a simple image, not too complicated. I didnt print in the image of the city but I still put in the yellow lines, which I think worked really well, and added to the brief idea of losing identitys to the street as these images give the appearance of a dead end.

Silkscreen

For my Silkscreens i decided to work on photographs of grim, bleak areas of the city. I decided to let the areas themselves speak for the homeless people as they have already lost their identitys to the street. I focused on 3 photographs, one of the side of an alleyway with yellow lines on one side of the road, one facing down the alley way with yellow lines on either side and one of a deteriorated red door from an abandoned building. 

Notions of Identity

We were given the title "Notions of Identity" as our brief title for are semester 2 print project. I thought about this alot and since the title was quite broad, I decided that I wanted to focus on a more general idea then a personal one. I began looking at homeless people, and how they have lost their identities to the street. We as passers by, no longer see them as people with an identity. We begin to associate them with the places and areas that they occupy. Damp, grim, harsh, dirty spots. We forget these people have a name, an age, a family and a story.