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Relief Printing
Relief printing is any printing process in which the raised areas of a plate or block are printed. The most common forms of relief printing methods are woodcuts, linocuts and wood engraving. Within aboriginal communities relief printing from linocuts is quite common, the process of carving linoleum is not unlike the traditional incising of designs onto sculpture and domestic objects.In recent years young artists from the the Torres Strait islands have created entirely new art movement based on relief printing techniques
In relief printing the block is carving with a design using various chisels, knives and scribes, leaving a raised surface to carry the ink. Linoleum, made of powdered cork, rosin and linseed oil mounted on burlap backing, it is a popular medium, as its soft uniform surface can be carved with ease. It produces bold prints with large flat areas of uniform colour due to its consistent surface.
Woodcuts are visually quite different in makeup, many artists us the grain of the wood to enhance the character of their relief prints. The directional nature of the grain also places restriction upon the carving, unlike linocuts that can be carved easily in any direction.
Wood engraving can produce very fine, detailed prints. It is different from woodcuts as it is the end-grain that is utilised as the printing surface. Wood engraving has been most commonly used for book illustration.
Alterations to wood or lino blocks are difficult, so the design is normally carefully draw onto the block and the negative spaces removed only after this drawing has been finalised. For multiple colour prints a number of blocks are normally created for each colour, however It is also possible to carefully apply different coloured inks to different sections of the block to achieve a similar effect as a multiple block print.
'Kaidaral' is a variation on the above technique developed in the Torres Strait. The term literally means 'spirit that creates ripples on the surface of the water'. In Kaidaral, the linocut is initially rolled though the press, printing a single uniform colour, nomally black. Isolated areas of the block are then wiped clean and replaced with the careful hand painted application of different colours. During the whole process the trailing edge of the paper is still caught in the press so that when the print is lowered back over the block it remains in perfect registration. The print is then rolled back through the press, transferring the hand painted colour to the final print. Although these prints are editioned, this unique hand painting of specific areas within the print, result in each individual print of the edition having Its own unique qualities. (images of Kaidaral process)
Reduction block prints are another variation on relief printing; here block is printed in progressive stages to create a multiple colour print. If there is to be any white in the print these areas printed first, for the entire edition, the block is then re-carved and the next lightest colour printed, the process is continued until the edition is complete. Each progressive printing of the block obsures the previous layers except for in the areas of the block that have been altered between impressions.
Printing
Printing of a relief block is a straightforward process; Ink is uniformly applied to the block with a roller and a sheet of paper placed on top. It is important not to over ink the block as this can result in the loss of the prints fine detail. After the paper is laid over the inked block, the raised, inked areas of the block are rubbed by hand with a burnisher or a spoon to transfer the ink to the paper. Because of its consistent surface, Linoleum prints can also be produced by rolling the block though a standard etching press.
Linocuts by Aboriginal Artists
Aboriginal art prints has a large range of linocuts from, and a very close association with artists of the Torres Strait. In 2001, Aboriginal Art Prints, working closely with Torres Strait artists, Dennis Nona, Billy Missi, Victor Motlop and David Bosun produced an international touring exhibition GELAM NGZU KAZI - DUGONG MY SON. These Young Torres Strait island artists are unsual in that their primary form of artistic expression is through relief printing tchniques. Not only that, but their use of printmaking has lead to an expansion and revival of artistic and cultural practice within the Torres Strait. Through printmaking, these young artists have expressed the stories and cultural beliefs that were handed down to them from their elders, in effect, preserving Torres Strait culture for future generations.
View Torres Strait Islander Relief prints:
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