Self-Portrait to Freud

Intaglio Prints
18"x12" each

For this piece I set out with the goal of making three separate piece which could stand alone but when printed in a certain orientation would interact. I also like how this aspect of it can also sort of illustrate the process of printmaking. The linking imagery between all three prints is a neuron. This leads into the content, each plate represents a different aspect of Freuds theory of mind (Id, Ego, Superego) All three together were intended to create a type of self portrait.

Id: The red plate represents my id, which operates on the pleasure principle. It is impulsive and has no regard for others. I started with a simple line etch of the most impulsive line i could draw. Then for the value, sticking with the abstract, I tried to come up with an etch which would be passionate for both love and hate. I mixed a deep red ink to echo these themes.

Ego: The green plate represents my ego, which operates on the reality principle. For this plate I took the concept that due to perception, the body makes it's reality. Especially with the setup of the eye, and due to lateral inhibition, which causes edges in the environment to actually be more clear than they are in reality. Therefor I made a line etch of box edges, and did a systematic stage bit for shading. you can thank lateral inhibition for your ability to detect the exact edge of each stage bite so easily. I decided to print in a green hue as this is the color closest to the average of all three color cone types in the retina.

Superego: The blue plate illustrates the superego, which operates on the moral principal. The superego is very systematic and logical. The line etch i did a simple strait forward (get it?) line etch, and for shading also used a technique which would give a strait and peaceful texture.

Say Something!

I seem to have more of an issue than most people with meaningless artwork. I don't necessarily believe that all artwork has to be heavily based in content, but nothing pisses me off more than hearing someone talk about their work and say it really isn't about anything. So I wanted to make a call to artists by taking a jab at one of the one's who says nothing. I etched this statement into an intaglio plate and chin cole'd a Bob Ross painting under it. Make your work mean something.

shitisfuckedup (Andrew Carnegie)

Charcoal Drawing
42"x48"

With this piece I was further exploring the use of propaganda posters. With this piece I was playing with the idea that propaganda is designed to be a low level process, and appeal to a subjects laziness in terms of thinking. The layout is designed to look like a tribute to Carnegie, while the content quite clearly is not. The text as well requires some secondary thought to realize the theme I was dealing with was "The Ends Justify the Means".

The inspiration for this piece came from discussions in high school and reading about Andrew Carnegie online. It drives me nuts that Andrew Carnegie is revered as a great and philanthropic American. Certainly I cannot deny that he did some great and noble things with his fortune, but that does not excuse the horrible things he did to acquire that fortune. Thanks also to The Offspring for the inspiration.

Synesthesia Series

Intaglio Prints
8"x12" each

1.These Amps Go to 11
2. Bananas
3. Just Out of Reach

This series of prints was inspired by the psychological condition known as synesthesia. Synesthesia is an overlap of two senses due to too many neural connections. I used drypoint etching for the figurative aspects and a la poupee to selectively ink the plates.

The first print is dealing with the concept of sound-color synesthesia. In which the subject gets color activation in their visual field from hearing certain tones, in this case some metal.

The second print, deals slightly more with the continuum of synesthesia and how most people demonstrate evidence of synesthesia. For instance when cheese is described as sharp, people understand the meaning of that phrase even though "sharp" isn't technically a word that applies to the sense of taste. With this piece I tried to create a visual connection to the taste of bananas.

The third print dealt even further with the fact that most people display synesthetic tendencies. Both physical and emotional pain are described in the same way, i.e. pain. In fact they are both also processed in the same area in the brain. This piece was trying to put a visual representation on an emotional pain, when love is just out of one's grasp.

Print Propaganda!

Intaglio Print
8x12in

With this piece I decided to take a comedic look at propaganda posters. Trying to keep in the simplistic style of such posters I took on a comically light concept. I think I would really like this in a huge poster size format. This piece encourages printmakers to joing an Atelier, a printmaking workshop where people learn and teach one another, much like how the printshop at UW-L operaters

The Death of Patroclus

12"x18"
Multi-Plate Intaglio Print.

I finally have a picture of this print! I Printed this back in December but now I finally have a good picture of it to upload. So, this print was addressing the issue of loyalty in life, more specifically brotherhood. I've always been interested in Greek mythology and the story of Patroclus and Achilles always stuck me as an amazing story of the importance of brotherhood. Basically, in the Trojan war Achilles is refusing to fight. Patroclus, who is like a brother to him asks if he can wear Achilles' armor in battle as it will boost morale for the troops and maybe be just what they need. Achilles allows this and tells Partoclus to merely fend off the enemy, and not pursue. Well that doesn't happen and Patroclus is killed by Hector. Upon discovering this Achilles basically goes nuts, gets his armor back, kills Hector, and desecrates his body. Achilles had been warned by Athena that if he went into battle he would not survive, so the decision the avenge Patroclus was also a death sentence for him. While it seems a bit brutal, I kinda get it, you don't mess with the dudes family. Anyway the figure in the print is supposed to be Achilles, immediately after finding Patroclus, that's him in the background. Achilles is real pissed and going to go, well lets just say wreak havoc. "We are nothing without brotherhood, and brotherhood is nothing without your brothers."

My Little Panda

woodcut print
2"x1.5"

So I've always been attached to the idea of ridiculously tiny (and large) pieces of work, especially prints. Tiny pieces seem like little treasures, something to be cherished. We'll this idea came as a valentines present. I think my girlfriend is certainly someone to be cherished. My pet name for her (amanda) is panda. Pretty simple....it's a panda.

Cardinal

5x5 muti-block woodcut

Heyo! multi-block woodcut! this is my first one ever! I finished this one up right before the end of J-term! it turned out pretty well overall i think. i just like the image of a cardinal hanging out on a branch in winter. This basically stems off of an obsession with birds thanks to mom and dad. This one just got put in the juried show in the UWL gallery. so thats pretty sweet.

"Peaceful,Pleasant,..."

Woodcut Print
4"x6"

I don't really have to much to add about this print. I saw a watercolor of an outhouse at a friends house and thought it would make a pretty cool woodcut. I guess so cause a couple of people have wanted to buy this one. On that note, for some reason outhouses are a pretty well covered topic in some forms of art, they're viewed as rustic, and peaceful in a way....and we poop in them. Just struck me as comical.

Mosh

Single plate color intaglio 5"x7"
The goal of this print was to use many different techniques to make a relatively abstract image depicting the energy an intensity of being in a crowd at a concert. Using many of the techniques I have learned combined with some experimentation (including putting paint thinner in my dreads for some intaglio headbanging...bad idea) i came up with this image.

As Close As I Get

16"x12" woodcut print

This is the first woodcut print I have done over this winter break. Subjectively I thought this would fit the medium quite well. If you don't know, I am very into nordic skiing, and I find it to be an important part of who I am. This print was an attempt to depict the peace and beauty I find in nordic skiing. Overall, I am happy with the print. The only problem I run into is an inability to quickly get the dark value i would like from the print. As I print these by hand, it takes about 45 minutes of strictly pressing to get close to the value I would like. Short of buying a press, does anyone have any recommendations on how to print them quicker?

Calm Consumes Me

Multi-plate color intaglio
4.5"x8"

This was my first multi plate print after coming back from Italy. I used it as a sort of way to experiment with the techniques learned there and how they could transfer to the processes used in La Crosse. Subjectively this print touches on misunderstood personalities, and to a lesser extent multi-faceted relationships. I was trying to illustrate the focus and instinct of an owl in their apparently "stoic" pose. While owls are most certainly beautiful and impressive creatures, I feel like they get misrepresented in the media. Being portrayed as cute and cuddly in any way is pretty ridiculous as owls are essentially killing machines. Maybe you haven't thought about this yet, but owls are completely silent, have razor sharp claws and astounding hearing and vision, basically they could kill you at any time. So be nice to owls, cause they're nice enough to let us live.

What's One Worth?

Multi-plate color intaglio.

5.5"x7.5"

This print is the first multi-plate color print i made, it is from my trip to Italy! This print is meant to illustrate the personality and importance of individual people through the personification of a neuron. While one neuron doesn't make the personality, each neuron plays an important role and has a specific role. What is one person worth? or even more simplistic, what is one of your neurons worth?