A collagraph mash up
An unintended outcome of the light fabric pump spray paints I used to register where my plates went on my collagraph was that I inadvertently made this really cool looking print. I really like the layering of shapes and the alluded landscape built up in the complexity of the fluro colours.
Keeping this piece was an opportunity to keep the imprint of the stencil I made of the Afghan check point. Its paper flimsiness didn't survive the printing process, but I could still make out its unique shape on this work.
I wasn't sure if I should keep the registration as its own seperate piece. It was done on konzo paper so it would be relatively durable if I wanted to do something else with it.
On the weekend I visited Thirteen Gallery in Daylesford Ink, where Celeste Wrona's work Awaken I was shown. Celeste is an Australian contemporary artist whose work celebrates free-flowing form, texture, and colour. This intriguing piece was made with a combination of acrylic and paper collaged on timber panel with resin finish.
Her work inspired me to use the registration backing sheet and all of the beautiful coloured and layered collagraph plates to make a new piece together. I did test putting the plates on a plain piece of white paper but it just didn't look as effective. Also, the hints of the fluro paint on the plates tied the piece together. It made for a complex and very varied work.
I should have used gloves when using the spray adheasive. One hand got covered in glue and has been yucky and sticky for the last 24 hours! I did ventalate the room well though - working right next to a big open window with the front door open for a breeze too. I guess a face mask and gloves would be a good addition to safety at home next time. One thing is for sure, I am glad that I invested in some of the eco wash we use in the RMIT studios. It cleaned up my workbench a treat.
I used a combination of the baron and my hand to press the paper and the plates together. After some of plates stuck to the plastic sheet I was using to ensure the baron could move freely, I switched to a clean old towel. This stopped some of the ink peeling off the collagraph plates also.
The final result was a built up, complex piece. It would be so cool to resin it with like Celeste's work! Happily, my Afghans on their check point can still be seen peeking out from behind a rubber matting mountain in the right hand bottom corner.
All in all, it was a fun side project, and an interesting experiment. Part of me prefers this collage to the actual collagraph print I made!
The full size artwork can be seen in my gallery.