Studio Brief 2: Printed Pictures
Study Task 3: Printed Images

Personally the most appealing part of screen printing is how I can use it to further refine and develop the graphic shape based approach to image making I have been working with in study brief brief 1.

Iconori

 

What I found most interesting about the screen prints of illustration duo Iconori is how there work is comprised of lots of individual graphic shapes that a put together to make much more complex and busy finished pieces. Furthermore the use of overlays, cross hatching and half tones has been used to add a wide tonal palette given the image a graphic yet three dimensional feel despite both eh above examples being limited to a simple 2 colour palette.

Conceptually I also like how each of the individual components of the above images is relatively mundane and normal yet, when juxtaposed next to other contrasting elements has create to very surreal final images. This is something I could bring into my own work to give it the ephemeral and uncanny feel I want when tackling the more intangible aspects of Murakami's work.

Dominic Kesterston

The above print by Dominic Kesterston has taken the graphic shape based approach to a much more extreme outcome being comprised of only flat graphic shapes with overlays being used to either create simple line work or a third set of coloured shapes rather than tonal variation.

This piece also have a slightly off kilter and dreamlike feel to it due to the use of of combing the real world shapes of plants with bizarre graphic patterns. Also in both Kesterston's and Iconori's work the choice of colour has been important in create this surreal aesthetic particularly Iconori's use of a low key colour palette to give their images a subdued and moody dreamlike feel.

Simon Fowler

There is an immediate difference between Simon Fowler's work and the previous two artist's work. This is that line is used almost exclusively to define the individual elements as well as lighting/tonal work within the above pieces. Arguably this is due to the fact that his print based work is almost all lino and wood block. Therefore you can see how process here has defined the out come given than the most effective designs in lino and woodblock are usually line based given that cutting away large neagtive spaces so as to create exclusively shape based images often results it small lines from where the cutting tools have been used still showing through on the final print. Therefore using line is usually the best way to avoid this.