Monday 3 June 2013

Evaluation of Etching


1. What techniques I have learnt?

- The materials needed to produce an etching:
- Pre-soaked printing paper
- A plastic plate
- A dry point needle
- An ink dabber
- An oil-based printing ink
- An etching press
- Newspaper
- Blotting paper
- Soft cloth
- Various ‘rules’ regarding appropriate conducts whilst etching:
- Copying a drawing onto the plastic plate, before scratching.
- Avoiding scratching mistakes, as the ink penetrates all scratches and lines
- Dipping the printing paper in water very quickly, and then gently blotting it to eliminate any excess moisture.
- Turning the wheel of the etching press only once.
- Types of etching lines:
- Fine, delicate lines
- Dots
- Thick, broad lines
- Shallow lines
 
2. Why are my choices reflective of contemporary influences?

- The title of my work is produced from the direct translation of Alighieri ‘Purgatory’, in which its meaning provide further evidence of the harsh being of those guilty of both sins and goodness, yet, biblically, do not have a place to go.
- The salient image of the skull is a direct adaption of Otto Dix’s ‘Der Krieg’.
- The rose represents the goodness in individuals, (e.g., the element of people that is appropriate for heaven)
- The weeds and worms represent the sinfulness of individuals, (e.g., the element of people that is appropriate for hell)
- The decaying teeth that is representative of the harsh verbal abuses that people commit against each other.
- The destruction and overgrowth of the upper part of the skull, symbolising the sinful taint to one’s thoughts and actions.
- The decay to one eye, exhibiting a view of the world through ‘rose tinted glasses’. The other eye displays a normal appearance, thus contrasting perception’s have the world that contain both good and sinful elements.

3. What worked well?

- The Rose
- My personal design of the rose is a very salient image of the goodness in people.
- The large size and intricate detailing of the rose allow for a contrast between both good and sinful views, yet it is attached to the skull to therefore prove a point against the ‘sin consuming the goodness’.
- The Decayed Teeth
- I have made several adaption’s and inclusions to the image of the decayed teeth. I have increased the number of the teeth and designed its appearance to be more gruesome and mutilated.
- In turn, the mouth itself proves an absence of space within the image, to allow the audience to focus on each individual tooth and fully grasp its symbolism of the type of abuse (verbal) that can lead to the production of sin.
 
4. What could I have done differently?

- The Skull
- The design of the skull is both technical and elaborate, which suit the concept of my work quite nicely.
- Unfortunately, I believe that I have made too close of an adaption to Dix’s original work, and therefore I cannot claim the work as my own. I take pride in this image, although I would prefer a more independent creation of this piece, as it would bring more a satisfying sense of accomplishment after its completion.
- To design the skull differently, I would;
- Diminish any presence of the worms and rotting weeds, and use different elements to present decay, such as bone degradation of the skull.
- Change the angle of the skull from a portfolio view to a straight view or even an upward view.  A change in angle would produce different perspectives of the image, which should be embraced in order to exemplify the meaning of this work.
- Make the skull smaller and add other elements into the image background. For example, I could include three gateways extending from each corner of the page, representing a path to heaven, purgatory and hell.

Etching Images

Final Etching Cut

Final Etching Cut

Final Etching Design

Etching Design without Rose

The Start of the Etching Design

Supporting Images

Otto Dix
'Otto Dix - The Eye of the World' [online] 2013, Available: http://travelnewsnamibia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/04/Otto-Dix.jpg [Accessed 30 May, 2013]


Influence / Adaption for my Etching

The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri
'Read Dante Alighieri, The Divine Comedy' [online] 2011, Available: http://vikingsinspace.files.wordpress.com/2011/07/dante-alighieri-the-divine-comedy.jpg  [Accessed 30 May, 2013]



‘Lo stato miserabile di essere è quelle tristi anime né fedele né infedeli al loro Dio,’


‘Lo stato miserabile di essere è quelle tristi anime né fedele né infedeli al loro Dio,’
(The wretched state of being is those sad souls neither faithful nor unfaithful to their God)

- June, 2013
- Media: Etching

This work depicts personal conflicting ideas of religion and the afterlife. The idea for this piece stems from my adolescent age that is allowing the continuity of ‘growing up’ themes within my life, as I begin to question the moral teachings of society, school and my family. The basic ideology of this work is the contemplation of the life after death. Various influences have forced me to conclude that at the end of one’s life, we are all tainted with both sin and goodness, yet the bible basically states that the ‘good’ go to heaven and the ‘bad’ go to hell. In turn, for the majority of the population that is guilty of both offences, where do they go? This work shows the conclusion of the remnants of such a person in purgatory, primarily protruding to the audience that I, myself, are still unsure about the outcome of life after death.

Influences that have helped me succeed in this work include my reading of the ‘Divine Comedy’, by Dante Alighieri. Alighieri was a 13th century Italian philosopher, who wrote literature regarding his perceptions of Christian beliefs. The Divine Comedy is separated into three books; Hell, Purgatory and Paradise. The novels follow the imagined journey of Alighieri exploring each location and the type of people that are reduced to those circumstances.

The primary influence of German Expressionist artist, Otto Dix, has also aided in the production of this work, as the etching is an adaption his work called ‘Der Krieg’ (The War). Dix used his personal experiences from war to portray an image of a fallen soldier and the slow degradation of his body. Dix’s skull inspired my debate over the existence of the afterlife, as soldiers have committed sins but do it for the protection of their people and country. Correspondingly, these soldiers developed my category of the type of people that are guilty of both sin and goodness, and thus are presented in my work.

I choose to think of my work as a continuation and thus adaption of Dix’s symbolic image. Dix has accurately produced an image of a fallen man, yet my various inclusions and subtractions portray a further story of his aftermath.

Products from Papermaking Workshop

Designed Paper

Embossed Paper

Flower Paper
Thick Paper
Thin Paper

Reflection of Papermaking Workshop


Papermaking Workshop

1. Briefly, explain the workshop you attended yesterday
On Monday, the 20th of May, my Art class and I attended a papermaking workshop, orchestrated by members from ‘Primrose Printmaking’. We were educated on the origins on papermaking, the uses of papermaking and how to make it ourselves. The workshop allowed us to test and create a diverse range of papermaking techniques, which we could use for different uses within our etching artworks and for our future creative endeavors.

2. Outline the steps involved in making paper
• Place small pieces of recycled paper and water into a blender, and blend it until it has a porridge-like consistency, called ‘pulp’.
• Mix the pulp with water and put it into a VAT.
• Submerge the mould and deckle into the VAT and collect an even layer of pulp.
• Drain any excess water within the mould and deckle, by lightly moving it side-to-side and gently tipping it at an angle.
• Pull the deckle off the mould and place the mould at a 90-degree angle to a flannel square.
• Directly push the mould onto the flannel square.
• Use a sponge to absorb any excess water from the back of the mould.
• Gently peel the mould off the cemented pulp.
• Place a flannel square and a flat sponge over the cemented pulp.
• Place into a press for 5 minutes.
• Take the substance out of the press, peel the flannel square and flat sponge off the cemented pulp, and leave it to dry for 24 hours.

3. What are the advantages of making your own paper in this way?
The advantages of making paper in this way is that these skills give you more variety to include in your future works, it allows you to appreciate and uphold the traditional crafts from previous generations and it encourages environmental sustainability through the use of making new paper out of recycled paper.

4. Was the workshop fun/worthwhile/a positive/negative experience?
The workshop was a positive and worthwhile experience. This is through my newly acquired knowledge of the skills in papermaking, which I can now use for my future crafts, and how the tutors hosting the workshop were very nice, patient and passionate about the subject.

5. What was the best part of the activity?
The best part of the activity was making paper with the inclusion of various flowers and organic materials. The ending result was simplistic, yet the natural inclusions would make an interesting contrast to my etching artwork; therefore I was most passionate in creating that work.

6. What was your least favorite part?
My least favorite part of the workshop was the primary introduction to the papermaking course. I found the subject and origins of papermaking to be quite interesting, but I feel as though the introduction to the course dragged on and therefore I lost interest quite rapidly. This resulted in my distraction from the background to the topic and left me focusing on the hope in starting the future task of papermaking.

Works by Kathe Kollwitz


Riot - The Revolt of the Weavers (1897)
'Käthe Kollwitz (German, 1867-1945): The Revolt of the Weavers' [online] 2013, Available: http://www.spaightwoodgalleries.com/Media/Kollwitz/Kollwitz_Riot_Best.jpg [Accessed 30 May, 2013]

Prisoners - The Peasant War (1902-1908)

'Kathe Kollwitz [1867-1945]' [online] 2010, Available: http://spaightwoodgalleries.com/Media/Kollwitz/KK_Gefangenen_unsigned3.jpg [Accessed 30 May, 2013]


Self-Portrait - (1923)



Woman with Dead Child - (1905)




Image of Kathe Kollwitz