Print Workshop

Earlier in the course using screen and relief printing created some interesting pieces, so I thought using the print workshop in my FMP would be a good idea.

We first had to choose an image to bitmap. The image I chose was a photograph I took in London of an old sign from the early 1900's stating, 'Commit No Nuisance'. I thought that this was a very powerful phrase and as an image it created a powerful effect on the viewer. I was just confused as what was classed as nuisance and what the punishment for committing nuisance was. We needed to bitmap the images so that the image is broken down into a series of dots, so that when transferring this image onto a screen, inks can pass through these dots. I tried to use an image that contained some form of textured mark along with a statement in text so that it could create a strong image when printed.

After transferring the image onto a screen, I then made a stencil that fitted over the commit no nuisance sign so I could make a series of separate backgrounds. This would make the text stand out more and give me ability to put more colours into the print.

The backgrounds on their own became quite interesting because it created a feeling of ambiguity. Another interesting effect that came through accidentally was a print that was positioned incorrectly on the screen and started to overlap the background. This is something that I wished I had explored more when I had the chance because once I had corrected my mistake, it didn't happen again.

Once I had moved the background into the right place the prints became comparable to the over used 'Keep Calm and Carry on' slogan, which is something I hadn't planned although I felt the prints were slightly more original. I created a variety of different prints by changing the materials I printed on and the colours I used to print. I felt that when I printed on materials such as wood, vibrant plastics and newspaper added a new meaning to the piece and added a noticeable contrast and change in texture.

Keep Calm and Carry On was a poster produced by the British Government in 1939 during the beginning of the  Second World War, intended to raise the morale of the British public in the event of invasion. Seeing only limited distribution, it was little known. The poster was rediscovered in 2000 and has been re-issued by a number of private companies, and used as the decorative theme for a range of products. - Via http://wartimeposters.co.uk/keepcalm

Finally I collected four of the most successful prints and then composed them next to each other in a grid.

I thought these prints did hold a very interesting and strong effect and from this point on I am taking the less successful prints and I plan to either use them alongside other materials such as wood in a collage or alternatively, create a series of geometric stencils and then print over them. If I went through the process again, I would use more stencils and maybe bitmap a number of images, place them on the same screen and then overlap them and create a final composition this way.