PRINTING / PRINTMAKING:
Printing is the process of transferring an impression from one object onto the surface of another – rather than directly painting or drawing. The artist engraves an image on to the smooth surface of a printing block, which is later inked and pressed onto paper to transfer the image from block to paper. The artist’s prints are not reproductions of any pre-existing artworks but are her own original developments from her sketchbook studies and photographs, fully employing the particular aesthetic qualities of each chosen print medium.
Wood Engraving:
A print produced from a block of hard end-grain wood, onto the surface of which the artist engraves a design using fine, steel, cutting tools. When the cutting is complete, she applies a thin layer of printing ink. She then carefully places a sheet of smooth paper, face down, onto the inked block, and takes a printed impression either by hand-rubbing the back of the paper with a spoon, or by using a press. The artist uses a cast-iron Albion printing press dating from 1859. She prints a limited edition of between 20 and 75 impressions from each block.
Collage:
A work of art involving the glueing of diverse materials (often paper) to a backing support. The artist’s collages are usually made from selected details cut from sample printings of her wood engraving and lino blocks; she also often incorporates other materials such as pen and pencil drawings, gold leaf, street-map fragments, redundant banknotes and marbled papers. These are glued onto various surfaces including archival card, painted wood, seashells and roofing slate to create unique, individual artworks of great diversity and complexity.
Linocut:
A print produced from a linoleum block, onto the surface of which the artist draws then cuts an image using fine steel gouges. When the cutting is complete, the block is inked and printed as for a wood engraving (see above). She prints a limited edition of between 12 and 40 impressions from each lino block.
Monotype:
A one-off print – a unique, unrepeatable impression printed off glass, perspex, metal or any other smooth flat surface. The artist makes a drawing in printing ink onto a smooth flat surface (such as a glass inking slab). When the drawing is complete and before the ink has time to dry, she lays a sheet of paper on top of the wet ink and transfers the image to paper by carefully rubbing the back of the paper with a spoon. Alternatively, in another monotype method, the artist rolls out printing ink on the inking slab, lays a piece of paper onto it and then makes a drawing in pencil on the back of the paper. The pressure of the pencil transfers the wet printing ink onto the other side of the paper to create a unique printed result.
Digital Print:
A print produced using computer technology. Many reproduction prints of artists’ paintings are produced as digital prints. However, digital technology can also be used to create entirely original prints, such as Anne Desmet’s, in which there is no reproduction of pre-existing artwork involved and no printing plates. Instead, new images are made using image creation software. The high resolution image files are printed onto artist’s quality papers in limited editions, exactly as for other printmaking methods. Desmet uses a professional printing studio to print her digital editions. These days, the printed results from professionally printed digital works are considered as lightfast and long-lasting as any of the older traditional techniques.
Limited Edition:
A finite number of identical prints, each of which is numbered as part of the total. A print numbered 6/40, for example, denotes that this is the sixth print in an edition of forty identical impressions. The artist designs, cuts and prints all her own blocks by hand and produces a signed limited edition from each block.
