1999.Size: 10 inches x 8 inches (25.4 cm x 20.3 cm)
Medium : Dry Point Completion Date : November, 2018 |
Exhibition Text:
1999. is a dry point print that was inspired by contemporary artists of a not so usual form of art. The inspiring artists are tattoo artist Javier Betancourt and Japanese Manga Artist Rumiko Takahashi. The presence of Javier's snakes being part of the human and Rumiko's illustrations of dark plot stories of evil and fantasy heavily inspired my piece as it is an attempt to create a story in a single "comic" panel. |
ARTISTIC
I N S P I R A T I O N
( A Critical Investigation )
(HER INFLUENCE ON MY WORK) Rumiko's story plot in one of her coic book, Mermaid's Scar had caught my attention right away. It wasn't only her work as the creating artist that inspired my Drypoint but also the way that she managed to tell what it was that she wanted to say through single panels of hundredths of panels. I saw a potential drypoint in those panels. My own drypoint coming to life as it told the status quo of my own "fictional" story at least. I decided to use a similar dark and historical folklore notes that portrayed to what I knew of "life" and began to think of an innocent character that could manifest some sort of odd evil. That's when I thought of a baby still trapped inside their mother's womb. |
Untitled Pieces (n.d) by Javier Betancourt
Retrieved from http://www.ochoplacastattoo.com/#/new-gallery-1/
Retrieved from http://www.ochoplacastattoo.com/#/new-gallery-1/
( HIS INFLUENCE ON MY WORK ) What I got from Javier were his snake and lasso design. I felt that the tattooist had a beautiful detail in his "canvas" which was somebody's body. Thus I admired his work and looked forwards towards using his coiled up snake/lasso design in my work. As it can be seen in his tattoo with the snake on the lady's head, it seems as if the snake makes part of the madam. I was to make the snake part of the fetus. I wanted solidify the connection between historical fiction through the use of symbolism making the connection of the babe with the ophidian through an umbilical cord. |
P R O C E S S
&
I N T E N T I O N S
01. Creative Ideas & Brainstorming
I began to quickly sketch some figures from the vague ideas of what I baby looks like. I also experimented with some figures for the serpents. On the page, you can also find some jots and notes from the introduction of the project. Said notes were more of some mental notes reminding us to not "abandon our freshie skills" as the basic foundations of the drypoint was to come from the acquired skills of cross hatching and stippling. Along here is a quick explanation of the continuation to my selected theme of stolen innocences and corruption of our early childhoods. |
02. Into Planning
Planning Sketches
03. Beginning the Drypoint Process
I mainly relied on the Ramelon USA carving tool to scratch most of the figure. Then I went back in with the X-Acto knife for details on the feet and hair of the fetus.
After finishing al of the scratching & Carving, it was time to begin inking the plate and soaking the sheets of paper for printing the image.
( 6 ) Once the 8 mnutes were up, I removed the sheets and placed them aside
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( 5 ) While prepping the ink, I placed the sheets in a tub with a significant amount of water and left them soaking for exactly 8 minutes
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( 4 ) To obtain the best size, I measured the dimensions 8 by 10 inches and then using a cutting board, I made myself four pages to experiment with
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( 7 ) Once removed from the tub of water, the sheets of paper were laid on a rag and left to dry
( 8 ) While the sheets were soaking, I laid some of the ink on the plate using a flat palate "spoon" and made sure to not grab an excess of ink to not make a mess out of my working space
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( 9 ) Then, using a different tool, a rubber scraper, I spread out the ink all over the plate until every corner of the surface was completely covered up
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This was the inked used to cover the plate: A carbon black intaglio ink, which was also oil based so that the ink wouldn't rub off from the soaking sheets of paper
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( Experimenting With Ink )
Because I had multiple trials to this process I had the opportunity to experiment with the
ink portions freely. Sometimes I placed a bit more of ink down and rubbed off the ink from specific places to create a specific gradation or emphasis on my drypoint. For example on the background, I kept a thick layer of ink on it and removed much of the ink that covered the snakes and the babe. Some other times I inverted the situation. It was mostly playing with the materials and alternating portions of ink.
Because I had multiple trials to this process I had the opportunity to experiment with the
ink portions freely. Sometimes I placed a bit more of ink down and rubbed off the ink from specific places to create a specific gradation or emphasis on my drypoint. For example on the background, I kept a thick layer of ink on it and removed much of the ink that covered the snakes and the babe. Some other times I inverted the situation. It was mostly playing with the materials and alternating portions of ink.
( 1 4 ) Carefully lifted the plate from the paper and left the dry point printings to air dry on a corner of the room where no water or any other substances could spill on top of them
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( 1 3 ) Afterwards, I remove to the top sheet and revel the semi-moist sheet with the plastic plate still on top of it. I can now remove my plate and sheet of the printing machine and continued with more trials. Once done I cleaned the area up.
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( 1 2 ) Now fold down the newspaper and have them sandwich the plastic plate and the paper that is going to have the printed drypoint. Covered it all with the sheet of clothes, carefully checking that I don't stain it with any ink. I proceed with the rolling progress.
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( 1 1 ) Now to finally print to image out, I was to place a newspaper sheet under the piece of paper with the plate on top. Then place a 2nd newspaper sheet on the clothed part of the printing machine. It should be tightly tugged underneath.
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(More Experimenting!)
As I was printing the image down, I noticed the background didn't have the "texture" that I wanted. I felt it to be a little to empty.
Thus I added more crosshatches on the way. Most of the new hatches were added to the background and parts of the snakes.
After using the carving tool again, I cleaned it up with spirit's mineral to avoid the contamination of a new plate that could be carved later on with the same tool.
As I was printing the image down, I noticed the background didn't have the "texture" that I wanted. I felt it to be a little to empty.
Thus I added more crosshatches on the way. Most of the new hatches were added to the background and parts of the snakes.
After using the carving tool again, I cleaned it up with spirit's mineral to avoid the contamination of a new plate that could be carved later on with the same tool.
The different trails ended significantly different from each other:
C R I T I Q U E
C O N T R A S T I N G
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C O M P A R I S O N
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R E F L E C T I O N S
Certain sketches for the Drypoint were not coming out as nicely. Others did not line up with my vision of the project. Overall I feel like my piece could have been better. I could have perhaps spent more time with the details by adding texture to the serpents skins and defining more the features of the fetus. The background as well, I could have created some sort of gradation wether that was accomplished through a better crosshatching method or more experimentation with the ink.
ACT
R E S P O N S E S
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
The cause and effect relationship between my inspiration is found in the content of the work. Meaning the figural inspiration of the snake and lasso by Javier as well as Rumiko's dark themes that threw the same type of dark historical fiction into my own work to tell a story.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The approach to their work is done in a very traditional manner as they touch bases on themes of the fictional and unusual stories portrayed in an image.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I discovered that every artist either Japanese or Traditional American have connections in themes that share common attention to details in both the craft and meaning/symbolism of their work.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
Central ideas around my inspirational research include historical fiction of creatures that are romanticized by a lot of different cultures, enough that they make living out of it. Another central idea is the different ways in which evil and dominance can be illustrated whether that was a snake or the sensuous curves of the lasso or an immortal child that has been roaming the earth for hundredths of years and has turned cold on humanity...
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I inferred that the artists that I took as inspirations have intentionally worked on their pieces with the idea of fictional characters while using the image of or a basis of a true characteristic at their time and/or experience that helped them through their creative process. For example, my theme is related to the harsh reality of growing up and how it can be seen as a rough transition thus I saw the inspiring pieces in a way in which it also communicated a similar but not exact replica of that feeling.
The cause and effect relationship between my inspiration is found in the content of the work. Meaning the figural inspiration of the snake and lasso by Javier as well as Rumiko's dark themes that threw the same type of dark historical fiction into my own work to tell a story.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The approach to their work is done in a very traditional manner as they touch bases on themes of the fictional and unusual stories portrayed in an image.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
I discovered that every artist either Japanese or Traditional American have connections in themes that share common attention to details in both the craft and meaning/symbolism of their work.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
Central ideas around my inspirational research include historical fiction of creatures that are romanticized by a lot of different cultures, enough that they make living out of it. Another central idea is the different ways in which evil and dominance can be illustrated whether that was a snake or the sensuous curves of the lasso or an immortal child that has been roaming the earth for hundredths of years and has turned cold on humanity...
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
I inferred that the artists that I took as inspirations have intentionally worked on their pieces with the idea of fictional characters while using the image of or a basis of a true characteristic at their time and/or experience that helped them through their creative process. For example, my theme is related to the harsh reality of growing up and how it can be seen as a rough transition thus I saw the inspiring pieces in a way in which it also communicated a similar but not exact replica of that feeling.
Bibliography.
Argyropulo-Palmer , Caroline. “Profile: Rumiko Takahashi, Manga Queen.” Financial Times, Financial Times, 26 July 2013, www.ft.com/content/20928902-f3fd-11e2-942f-00144feabdc0.
Paige, Jessica. “SESSIONS: Timeless, Elegant, Black & Grey by Javier Betancourt.” Tattoodo, 28 Mar. 2017, www.tattoodo.com/a/2017/03/sessions-timeless-elegant-black-grey-by-javier-betancourt/.
“Rumiko Takahashi.” Lambiek.net, Drawn and Quarterly, 1 Jan. 1970, www.lambiek.net/artists/t/takahashi_rumiko.htm.
Paige, Jessica. “SESSIONS: Timeless, Elegant, Black & Grey by Javier Betancourt.” Tattoodo, 28 Mar. 2017, www.tattoodo.com/a/2017/03/sessions-timeless-elegant-black-grey-by-javier-betancourt/.
“Rumiko Takahashi.” Lambiek.net, Drawn and Quarterly, 1 Jan. 1970, www.lambiek.net/artists/t/takahashi_rumiko.htm.