Block PrintExhibition Text:
"Reflections" is meant to explore the present-day urbanization that inspires future architectural design to be built upon. This piece was created using a carved printing block of linoleum and water-based black ink, and is inspired by Hugh Ferriss with his use of compressing detail into simplified renderings. The Block Print is supposed to display the potential growth that modern architecture can bring to transform communities and expand beyond our own perspectives. Text: Reflections
Size: 22.86 x 15.24cm Medium: Linoleum Block Print and Black Ink Completion: September 2022 |
Inspiration
Industrial Arts by Hugh Ferriss
"Industrial Arts" was a prominent inspiration behind my block print, and gave me a good sense of direction of where I wanted to take my art work. Hugh Ferris was able to deconstruct very precise and detailed buildings into simplistic displays, which I wasn't certain how I could apply this to my work at first, but knew that a contemporary city could be a great starting point. "Industrial Arts" is a example of a limited layout that can be generalized into utilizing rectangles with varying width, but despite the rough black and white illustration, he's still able to emphasize the power of these towers by the use of two point perspective to illustrate depth, and the way light is illuminated from the base of the sculpture that moves reader's eyes upwards. These simplistic techniques used on a restricted foundation allowed him to create a art work that showed urbanization having prominent potential rather than relying on complex features to be the only visual option available.
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Technology by Hugh Ferriss
To further this point, taking a look at "Technology" shows a concept of a future metropolis, making use of the same simple techniques and foundation as before, but on a larger scale. It becomes evident that Hugh Ferriss specializes in geometric shapes and straight lines that are repeated for his work, while dedicating certain points of emphasis, as seen here with the one-point perspective. "Technology" is a prevalent way to understand how the artist wanted the reader to see these architectural ideas as ambitious through the limited perspective of knowing how expansive the buildings truly are. Recognizing these key components was fundamental to how I wanted to start planning my block print with it's own limitations on color and detail, as I now knew I could represent the development of power without necessarily needing large scale towns to do so effectively.
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Planning
The initial planning started with a planning page where I took my primary inspiration for the piece, "Industrial Arts" by Hugh Ferriss, and placed the image as a reference point. I began writing down the limitations that came with doing a block print and what possible solutions I had to overcome them. The most prominent problems I could come up with were for depth, color, and detail, since having to carve out a printing block and using black ink would make these aspects difficult. I thought that using a point perspective would be a great way to showcase depth as seen in Hugh Ferriss work, which would also not require high detail in the buildings as well. I will deal with color later on, but having a form of contrast would be beneficial. I knew from the start I wanted to work on creating multiple buildings that looked as if it expanded beyond the page. This led to me testing one-point against two-point perspective, which I ended up choosing two-point since I could more effectively demonstrate conflicting architecture/sides in an interesting angle.
This is when I took my very rough concept for the two-point perspective, and began to expand it to the 22.86 x 15.24 cm that I wanted my block print to be so that I could easily transfer the image later on. As I began I mainly focused on occupying the streets with as many buildings as I could, but then I noticed that the buildings I was drawing on the top of the art work were too far out where you could barely tell there were buildings on the other side. This gave me an idea of how I could best showcase urbanization and contrasting architecture: By taking advantage of the open space and having the buildings be reflected.
At first I thought that the way that I could contrast both sides of the road with the reflection would be to create a organic line copy of the buildings to mimic something being reflected off water, however I thought that organic shapes would seem to out of place, so I instead divided the building into 2.54 cm rectangle segments that sprung outwards. I kept working in this direction to fill in the empty space, but then overtime the lines stacked onto each other were beginning to look very clustered, so I had replaced a couple of these sections with plain rectangles.
After the improvements that I made along the way, I was confident that my design could be worthy of being my final draft. I made sure that the lines would be thick enough and spaced apart to where they could be carved out and show up in the block print. I wasn't certain what areas I wanted to carve out to be white, but I was certain that if I would carve out all the lines I drew, then decide whether or not carving out the unused areas (such as the bottom right corner) would be beneficial.
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Process
As I begin my process of actually carving out the block print, I cut out my final draft to the dimensions that would allow it to lay over the printing block. I take a graphite pencil and rub as much of the back of the final draft so that I'm able to trace all my lines on the paper to transfer the image to the printing block. After that I'm able to get my linoleum cutter and start cutting out the lines, which was a difficult process to learn at first since I was unfamiliar with using a blade to create lines. To get used to creating straight lines, I would use a ruler as a straight edge against the lines to help my blade stay on the drawn out path. After using this technique enough times, I was able to consistently carve out straight edges without needing a guide to assist me.
At this stage since I had outline all the buildings, I already had a general understanding on how the block print would turn out if I put my ink on the printing block since after I transferred my image, you can see on the left that it left a inverted image on the backside of the paper where I rub my graphite pencil against. This led to me now working on incorporating open/white space into my artwork by carving out chunks of the printing block into the desired shape. Looking back at "Technology" by Hugh Ferris, he was to express scale by relying on primarily point perspective rather than incorporating shading and manipulation of lights and shadows as heavily as he did in "Industrial Arts'. Based on this, in my original artwork I wanted to try to showcase more the element of perspective rather than contrast, so I decided to make the only carved out shape on one of the tallest and distinct buildings that isn't reflected. However, this is a concept that I would be willing to reflect back on later, as I wasn't convinced if having the two art elements my inspiration used would collaborate well in my artwork without having the ability to shade buildings unless using alternative techniques like stippling or cross-hatching.
Once I had the mold for how I wanted my block print, I could start the process of making prints. This involved me using a metal ink tray and a brayer to spread it out evenly and make sure that when I applied the ink, that it would be a consistent amount throughout. I would prepare the print paper with very light marks on where I should lay my printing block in order to make sure that the image was centered on the page. After all the preparations, I would take my brayer and roll a sufficient amount of ink on the printing block, then place the mold centered on the page, face down. I placed another printing paper on the backside to have a smooth surface, and used a bamboo baren to put pressure evenly, until finally I could remove the block print and view my final print.
The reason why I went through this step of the process in detail was that despite it being the last part of the procedure for my block print, it's the part with the largest margin of error, since any mistake in the actual print process would ruin it. One of the things that I learned quickly was to use gloves and change them practically any point I grabbed my printing block and it had ink because if I didn't, I could smudge the paper in the process. I had to make sure that I wasn't using too much ink that the lines would get covered up, and make sure that I didn't use too little ink where the black ink didn't cover the entire surface. The aspect of the ink not entirely applying can also be from not putting enough pressure throughout the artwork. The image on the right gives a rough idea of how many of the prints would turn out, and looking back at it, the most important thing I would do for another block print would be to dedicate a good amount of time to prints to allow the process of trial and error to get the best possible print.
This section bridges the gap or gray area between the process and experimentation stage for me, since up to this point is when I would have my final print completed and would work on variations in the experimentation to see if other elements or concepts would work better. However if you look back at the previously mentioned example on the right, you would notice a white line on the bottom of the paper. This wasn't an error that only happened on this print, it's an error that would happen in every print I did despite the variables I changed. I had actually come up with a solution when looking back at open space to carve out the white line and incorporating it into the artwork, which caused me to brainstorm new ideas on how I could incorporate a contrast effectively. However, I knew that in order to do this new trial, that I would have to restart my entire process on a new printing block and do the final print with supplies at home to have the best outcome, which leads us to -
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Experimentation
I believed that I could really bring my artwork to a higher quality by making the unused space that is surrounding the buildings and carving it all out into white space so that it would further compliment the architecture through this form of contrast. The reason why I wasn't able to do this in my first printing block was that even though this concept would help remove the white line that appeared on all prints, it unfortunately went through a building, which would look odd for that part to be removed. I was trying to use sandpaper to make the original printing block leveled to also solve the white line, but after coming up with the contrast idea, I wanted to put this vision into action and see how it would turn out.
If we skip ahead in the process to the point where we transferred the image to the linoleum block, shown on the top left, you may notice that it's a different color from the original one. I specifically chose this printing block for this experiment since it has twice the width as the previous one, which makes it more ideal for making deeper cuts and less likely for the blade to go through it. I proceeded to do the same carving where I outlined all the buildings and the two circles on the building, however as you can see on the right side, I carved out the bottom left corner and made a print to see how it would turn out. The print did pick up a lot of ink on accident, which meant I needed to carve the area deeper, but I had an idea of how it would turn out and really enjoyed the contrast I was creating.
I continued with this vision by carving out more unused areas in the artwork, and while it did pose a new challenge of making sure the carving was deep enough and I positioned my brayer in specific directions to try to avoid getting ink in these white areas. One more notable experiment I tried before getting my final print was to try a different variation of paper, which you can compare the print paper I've been using on the right side, to watercolor paper that I tested on the left side. Both had very prominent benefits, with the print paper, I could see that the ink on the buildings would stay on better, compared to the watercolor that left its texture on the ink, which possibly could have been from me using a candle as a replacement baren to apply pressure. The watercolor paper did have the benefit of producing much more cleaner and consistent lines than print paper. In the end, I had a very limited supply of watercolor paper, and I felt that with the at home set up I was using, the print paper would be the best at making the final print, which it did after many more trial and error attempts.
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Critique
Similarities
- Utilizes point perspective to illustrate depth: This aspect is most apparent when comparing my piece with 'Industrial Arts", but we both apply two-point perspective into our art work to both help with the three-dimensional angle we're going for, and to make the cityscape appear to be larger than what is presented.
- Large focus on architecture through scale: Both pieces tend to solely have the buildings be the primary subjects, and either minimize or remove other elements in the scene being portrayed that would change the audience focus elsewhere.
- Contrast buildings from surroundings through manipulating lights and shadows: With "Technology", it's the most evident that the value between white and black are distinct and don't blend in with each other with both pieces, making the buildings stand out from the backgrounds they're placed on.
- Detail is suppressed and simplified: It's apparent that our artworks are very simplistic in the sense that they're restricted to only using black and white, while at the same time taking the main focus of the architecture and illustrating only the basic shapes.
Differences
- Use of lines: As shown in my inspiration artworks, the outlines that makes up his simplistic structures tend to be soft and seamless, which is seen more clearly in "Technology", but my piece has very defined and not consist outlines surrounding the buildings as carving out a printing block tends to do with this form of art medium.
- Inspiration applies shading onto his buildings: In order to help showcase scale, Hugh Ferriss illuminates his buildings from the bottom and begins to transition into a darker shade as he works his way up. In my piece the buildings remain as a solid black color throughout, as in a block print it's not possible to use that form of transition without using alternative shading methods instead, which I didn't want to include since it would have blend too much with the white background the buildings are already on.
- My piece incorporates inverted buildings: While my inspiration tends to stay confined in making his artworks question people into thinking if these concepts could be a reality, I decide that for my piece I could use inverted buildings to give a unique way to reflect the buildings that can't be seen while at the same time taking up unused space, rather than changing my vanishing points to ensure that non-inverted buildings took up the majority of the space.
- Utilizes point perspective to illustrate depth: This aspect is most apparent when comparing my piece with 'Industrial Arts", but we both apply two-point perspective into our art work to both help with the three-dimensional angle we're going for, and to make the cityscape appear to be larger than what is presented.
- Large focus on architecture through scale: Both pieces tend to solely have the buildings be the primary subjects, and either minimize or remove other elements in the scene being portrayed that would change the audience focus elsewhere.
- Contrast buildings from surroundings through manipulating lights and shadows: With "Technology", it's the most evident that the value between white and black are distinct and don't blend in with each other with both pieces, making the buildings stand out from the backgrounds they're placed on.
- Detail is suppressed and simplified: It's apparent that our artworks are very simplistic in the sense that they're restricted to only using black and white, while at the same time taking the main focus of the architecture and illustrating only the basic shapes.
Differences
- Use of lines: As shown in my inspiration artworks, the outlines that makes up his simplistic structures tend to be soft and seamless, which is seen more clearly in "Technology", but my piece has very defined and not consist outlines surrounding the buildings as carving out a printing block tends to do with this form of art medium.
- Inspiration applies shading onto his buildings: In order to help showcase scale, Hugh Ferriss illuminates his buildings from the bottom and begins to transition into a darker shade as he works his way up. In my piece the buildings remain as a solid black color throughout, as in a block print it's not possible to use that form of transition without using alternative shading methods instead, which I didn't want to include since it would have blend too much with the white background the buildings are already on.
- My piece incorporates inverted buildings: While my inspiration tends to stay confined in making his artworks question people into thinking if these concepts could be a reality, I decide that for my piece I could use inverted buildings to give a unique way to reflect the buildings that can't be seen while at the same time taking up unused space, rather than changing my vanishing points to ensure that non-inverted buildings took up the majority of the space.
Reflection
As I begin to look back at my project, I realized that finding inspiration that I genuinely enjoyed was fundamental in having a reference point to find out what elements I could apply to my work to make its message more significant. Hugh Ferriss had very similar limitations that my art medium had with the same focus of architecture being involved in his work, but was able to make it all work through his use of having emphasis on point perspective and the contrast between light and dark, which was a great way to start my planning and visit back to when I could experiment with my printing block. The biggest challenge that occurred to me was having to restart my printing block from the start and having to set up the process for him since it can be very unmotivating when you need to do all the work you spent days on all over again, especially when it's a problem out of your control. However, the potential vision that my new block print could bring was a great motivator and let me problem solve to find a way to create more prints with the limited resources I had with me.
Taking my experiences with acrylic painting and using pointillism recently, I have a understanding with getting comfortable with a technique in which you're able to keep on doing the same consistent lines in repetition without needing to focus that much, which was helpful for learning how to do straight lines with linoleum cutters, especially with the inverted buildings having their outline be a similar pattern repeating throughout. My favorite part was coming up and designing the inverted buildings in my artwork that give it the name "Reflections", as it was a way to reflect the buildings that aren't visible, take up unused space, and give a greater meaning to urbanization and the potential architecture can have in the future. On the contrary, having to do multiple prints was aggravating, as they would always have one tiny but still noticeable flaw, such as not enough ink or smudges, that made it the most time consuming and repetitive part of the process, but it was a great feeling when you got lucky and had a great print. I'm hopeful that my artwork would be able to illustrate how understanding the art elements and principles that compliment the art medium you're working in can have significant benefits to your process towards taking your idea and allowing it to express a fleshed out vision.
Taking my experiences with acrylic painting and using pointillism recently, I have a understanding with getting comfortable with a technique in which you're able to keep on doing the same consistent lines in repetition without needing to focus that much, which was helpful for learning how to do straight lines with linoleum cutters, especially with the inverted buildings having their outline be a similar pattern repeating throughout. My favorite part was coming up and designing the inverted buildings in my artwork that give it the name "Reflections", as it was a way to reflect the buildings that aren't visible, take up unused space, and give a greater meaning to urbanization and the potential architecture can have in the future. On the contrary, having to do multiple prints was aggravating, as they would always have one tiny but still noticeable flaw, such as not enough ink or smudges, that made it the most time consuming and repetitive part of the process, but it was a great feeling when you got lucky and had a great print. I'm hopeful that my artwork would be able to illustrate how understanding the art elements and principles that compliment the art medium you're working in can have significant benefits to your process towards taking your idea and allowing it to express a fleshed out vision.
Connecting to ACT
Clearly explain how you are able to identify the cause effect relationship between your inspiration and its effect on your artwork?
My inspiration of Hugh Ferriss used buildings to be the primary focal point of his work with the limitation of simplified buildings and having to rely on shadows to illustrate power and significance. My artwork is derived from these same principles, as it influences my focus on my cityscape and how I can adapt my perspective to best utilize the same limitations.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The overall perspective that Hugh Ferris tend to carry was to have his audience be able to draw out questions and responses to urbanization and the assertive architecture/concepts that are illustrated.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
A prominent idea that I came across while researching inspiration that could fuel a architecture-focused block print was that having highly-detailed artwork doesn't necessarily always mean a deeper message, but the way that you're able to understand and make use of the components and restrictions of your art medium is a way to create influential meaning.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme consisted of illustrating simplified buildings that can express exponential growth and potential.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
The way that a artist applies light and shadows can emphasize a atmosphere or subject to a great extent, which can become more evident as scale plays a notable role in a artwork and compliments this aspect.
My inspiration of Hugh Ferriss used buildings to be the primary focal point of his work with the limitation of simplified buildings and having to rely on shadows to illustrate power and significance. My artwork is derived from these same principles, as it influences my focus on my cityscape and how I can adapt my perspective to best utilize the same limitations.
What is the overall approach the author has regarding the topic of your inspiration?
The overall perspective that Hugh Ferris tend to carry was to have his audience be able to draw out questions and responses to urbanization and the assertive architecture/concepts that are illustrated.
What kind of generalizations and conclusions have you discovered about people, ideas, culture, etc. while you researched your inspiration?
A prominent idea that I came across while researching inspiration that could fuel a architecture-focused block print was that having highly-detailed artwork doesn't necessarily always mean a deeper message, but the way that you're able to understand and make use of the components and restrictions of your art medium is a way to create influential meaning.
What is the central idea or theme around your inspirational research?
The central theme consisted of illustrating simplified buildings that can express exponential growth and potential.
What kind of inferences did you make while reading your research?
The way that a artist applies light and shadows can emphasize a atmosphere or subject to a great extent, which can become more evident as scale plays a notable role in a artwork and compliments this aspect.
Citations
Favermann, Mark. “Visual Arts Commentary: Hugh Ferriss -- Architectural Delineator of the Heroic Modern.” The Arts Fuse, 19 May 2018, artsfuse.org/170622/visual-arts-commentary-hugh-ferriss-architectural-delineator-of-the-heroic-modern/.
The Nonist. “Hugh Ferriss: Delineator of Gotham.” The Nonist, 2003, thenonist.com/index.php/thenonist/permalink/hugh_ferriss_delineator_of_gotham.
The Nonist. “Hugh Ferriss: Delineator of Gotham.” The Nonist, 2003, thenonist.com/index.php/thenonist/permalink/hugh_ferriss_delineator_of_gotham.