Final Project documentation and reflection

Silk Suite of Dad

            I had the privilege of critiquing with both Beverly Semmes and Jane Gilmor this semester. Semmes was very reserved and did not say much, but one thing she did say was that she wished I could merge the looseness of the monotypes with my embroidery. Similarly, Gilmor during our critique expressed that she was unimpressed with my embroideries and more interested in Sewing Suite. Gilmor, like Semmes, said she wished there was some way to merge the two medias. I appreciated the feedback in both critiques; however, combining fabric with my monotype prints was something I had been pondering all semester, so for this final project I wanted to take advantage of my resources and try the monotypes on both a larger scale and fabric.

            I developed an interest in the transparency of monoprints when I made my installation, Sundowning. I make my monotype prints in black ink on Plexiglas, so it seemed like a natural step to project monoprints on my windshield in order to see both sides. For this project I had a vision of printing on sheer fabric in order to stack them up on top of each other with a backlight; the images would be lined up so that the subtle movement of the figure would be visible in all four prints. I had a vision of displaying them in a way that they could slide together and stack up, or slide apart—similar to room dividers and pocket doors.

            I took reference photos of my dad while I was talking to him one evening and chose China silk to print on because it was sheer and would absorb the ink. I was pleased with the prints, as it was the first time I had printed on fabric or did a monotype that large. After moving them around and flipping them over I discovered that viewing the back of the prints was almost as important as viewing the front. Because the prints were reversible I wanted to display them in a way that allowed viewers to see both sides. I constructed an armature that came out four feet from the wall to hold the slats the silk prints are mounted to. This displayed allows viewers to interact with the prints by moving them, as well as see both sides of the silk.

            My classmates responded positively to both the display and the prints; backlighting the prints became less important to me as I watched my classmates interact with the work and I was glad I chose not to do it. I am very exited about Silk Suite because of both the size and the material. I discovered that the aesthetics of my monotype prints do not change much when printed larger. Additionally, I am excited with all the possibilities of printing on fabric. This piece has opened up doors in my art and I am excited to continue exploring the possibilities of monoprinting on fabric.

Final Project

I worked on completing all the monotypes. Now I have to press them, touch up the prints, make sure they match up, and figure out how I'm going to display them.

Final Project Proposal

Final Project Proposal

          For my final project I am going to further explore my interest in both monotypes and fabric by combining them. Bringing together the looseness of the monotypes with the conceptual ideas I have been dealing with in fabric is something I have wanted to do for a while. I plan on doing a monotype suite of my dad using four separate pieces of cloth, roughly 5ft x 3ft. I will work from reference photos of the figure doing a movement, such as crossing their legs or standing up out of a chair. The prints will be printed on sheer fabric, such as 8mm china silk, and somewhat transparent. Each print will be visually interesting when viewed individually; however, when the prints are stacked up and backlit, the prints will coalesce together and show the movement of the figure.

            The monoprints will be installed in a way that allows them to be seen both separately and stacked on top of each other. The sides and bottom of the fabric will remain raw, and I will keep the fabric loose for most of the sides and bottom, but support the top by attaching wire to the fabric or sewing wooden dowels into the fabric—much like boning in the bodice of a dress. The viewer will be able to interact with the installation by moving the fabric apart or together; this will be visually exciting because the image will change from individual works to one piece, incorporate the movement of the fabric, as well as allow the viewer to physically interact with the artwork.

CERA Reflection and Documentation

CERA Project

           I began this project with an idea of making my own inks out of ashes from the burn at CERA and making monotype prints with it. I had gathered two photos on my phone of my cousin, Lydia, burning a prairie in Des Moines, Iowa. Lydia works for Des Moines Parks and Recreation and frequently burns prairies for her job; I wanted to do a portrait of her with the materials she works with. Additionally, I had been looking at Diane Victor’s work, specifically Smoke Heads, and was inspired by the fragility of the drawings and the conceptual element the material added.

            I could not really do much until CERA started to burn the prairie, as I needed the ashes. On April 12^th Elizabeth Hill, the Manager at CERA, started to burn the prairie. I arrived just as they started the first fire in the morning and watched as the team burned their way towards the Environmental Education Center. Once the fire was far enough away from me I gathered some ashes and sticks to make ink with. I used a blender and added ashes, wheat paste, and water; I would blend the material and test it out with a paintbrush on paper until I achieved the desired consistency. I put the first batch in a container and added more ingredients in the blended and started again. For the second batch of ink, I added significantly more ashes than the first batch.

            I tried to monotype print the ink I made onto Rives BFK and it did not work. The ink looked nice on the Plexiglas; however, when I ran it through the press with the paper it looked like a giant gray blob. I am guessing there was not enough pigment in the ink and the water just spread across the paper, creating an abstract shape. This accident inspired me to dilute the ink with water and paint with it instead. I did a base painting with the ink, building up the dark tones through several sessions. After the painting dried I went back in with charred sticks, cornhusks, prairie grass, and ashes to build up the drawing. I worked the ashes around with a drawing chamois and tortillions, and used an eraser to remove some of the highlights.

            I was interested in drawing my cousin burning the prairie surrounded by trees because I was interested in forestation encroachment on the prairie, which Elizabeth reminded me during critique is one of the reasons for burning the prairie. I was frustrated by the size of the drawing and the crudeness of the materials; using ashes and charred sticks and grass was completely different than drawing with refined charcoal or pencil and proved to be very difficult. However, picking through the burned prairie for drawing sticks, sifting through ashes, and using my hand on the paper really allowed me to connect with the material—a sense of connection I might have lost with monoprinting.

CERA

4/12 I went to the burn and got ashes. I made ink and tried monoprinting with it. It didn't work.
I am painting with the ink and drawing with the burnt prairie grass instead.

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4/14 I gathered more material to work on the drawing and checked out the rest of the burn at CERA.

CERA Proposal

CERA Independent Student Project Proposal

Student: Lauren Roush

Course Name: ART-320-01 Sight Specific

Project Name: Monotype prints from prairie ashes

Project Description:

Throughout this semester I have used materials found in my community to make portraits of friends and family. For this project I am going to make a monotype print, or monotype suite depending on how the process goes, to create a portrait of my cousin, Lydia. Most of my immediate family is from central Iowa; Lydia works for Des Moines Parks and Recreation and has a passion for prairie restoration. I am going to mix ashes from the burned prairie at CERA with wheat paste and water to create my own ink, which I will use to create a portrait of Lydia burning while at work.  The prints will be bleed prints on 22”x30” Rives BFK.

Project locale (please describe location and attach map):

I will use materials found throughout CERA to create my own ink; however, the print(s) will either be displayed at Bucksbaum at Grinnell College or at CERA’s Environmental Education Center.

Project materials:

I will acquire ashes from the burn that took place April 9^th.

Additional Needs:

None.