Look at the work of Edward Bawden, and his son, contemporary printmaker Richard Bawden.
Take a close look at the way they have worked with multiple blocks. What can you learn from
them?
Edward Bawden, English (1903 – 1989)
The Floral Hall, Covent Garden (1967)
This is a print with many intricate details and fine lines. I wouldn’t have tried to do something like this with linoleum because I wouldn’t be able to cut out these lines with such accuracy. I think it’s a very interesting composition and unusual, subtle choice of colour.
Zoom image at http://www.christies.com/lotfinder/prints-multiples/edward-bawden-the-floral-hall-covent-garden-5588069-details.aspx
Smithfield (Meat Market) (1967) Lithograph, originated from a Linocut
“This print of Smithfield Meat Market was one of a series of six prints of London markets commissioned by Curwen Prints. The others were Billingsgate, Borough, Covent Garden (2) and Leadenhall. The prints were originated as linocuts which were then made into lithograph plates by Stanley Jones. The main edition was of seventy-five copies of each. In preparing material for the series, Bawden would travel down to London from Great Bardfield very early in the morning with the local butcher. Bawden’s long-term interest in the structural detail of large-span working buildings, evident in his depictions of railway station and other structures, is also expressed in these prints, juxtaposed against the human activity and the market produce.” [The Fry Art Gallery]
This print is actually a lithograph, not a linocut, which I realized only later. I think the black was not the best choice on top of the other paler colours, because it stands out too heavily and does not integrate well with the other image elements. A dark gray would probably have worked better.
For the use of colour, I see a similar method in treating figure, line and background as what I noticed in the linoprints by Anne Lewis in an earlier post (LINK). A particular colour sometimes is a line, sometimes is it used as a shape, and sometimes it’s the background to something else (negative space). These principles are used in the roof structure but also in the center for the people in the scene. The print is undated, but I’d locate it close to the tradition of German expressionism with its bold style.
Braintree Station (1960)
Another linocut with a mind-boggling amount of finely cut detail. The composition uses a central perspective which resembles ‘naive paintings’.
Road to Thaxted (1956)
This is the earliest print from those I selected, and looks like the least controlled composition in a positive way. The treatment of lines and shapes is somewhat looser than in the later compositions of architectural structures. Interesting is that there are several misalignments, maybe deliberate, which work extremely well, for example the blue of the man on the bicycle or the white in the flowers to the lower right. Also interesting the use of texture to create tonal values, for example under the bench with the milk bowls. This reminds me of the techniques used in etching.
Resources
Overview of works by Edward Bawden at the Fry Art Gallery website: http://www.fryartgallery.org/the-collection/search-viewer/580/artist/6/Edward-Bawden-CBE-RA
Richard Bawden, English (born 1936)
Many subjects around the house: cats, interior views. I chose among the few outside views to make a comparison to prints by father Edward. But there were so few that I included other subjects as well. Unfortunately, I found no dates for the prints by Richard Bawden. Also, the reproduction images were in low resolution which makes it difficult to study technical details and learn from them.
Wivenhoe Waterfront, Linocut
From what I can see, a print with an enormous amount of eactly cut detail: The stone walls and houses with all the tiny brick linework, the planks of the boats, the texture on the water. All the linework for the boat’s sails. I could never do this and I wouldn’t want to in a relief technique, I think. I’m also surprised by the number of different colours in this print and wonder whether there was a separate plate for each colour or whether selective inking was used as well.
Seargent Pepper and Symphonic Rock Royal Albert Hall (White)
Another print with a huge amount of finely cut detail and geometrical patterns. The treatment of the blue light rays across the entire scene is interesting
Saltglaze Jugs, Linocut: I like this print for its subject
Daffodils, Linocut:
A print that has very few dark elements, which I find unusual for linocuts. The main element is the colourful striped tablecloth. The vase of flowers casts a shadow on the table surface which is nicely indicated by a light gray layer which mutes the underlying colours.
Resources
Selected Artworks at Bircham Gallery http://www.birchamgallery.co.uk/catalogue/artist/Richard:Bawden/
Selected prints at Art Angels Gallery: http://www.art-angels.co.uk/cat/richard-bawden
Linda Richardson presenting selected linocuts by Richard Bawden: http://www.lindarichardson.co.uk/index.php/a-z-artists/richard-bawden/linocuts
Concluding remarks
All in all, the prints by these two printmakers are “not my cup of tea”. While I do like them for the images and compositions, it’s not the style of printmaking I’m aiming for. The question ‘what can you learn from them’ is therefore difficult to answer. Things to take away might rather be in the vein of how to do things differently – I’d try to avoid making prints with such intricate, lace-like textures and instead would aim for a more generous and reductive style.