MANIFESTO: 2D – Print – Collage – Frottage

COLLAGE

As part of manifesto/2D option, I have produced collages that include drawings and magazine imagery. When producing these two collages below, I let the imagery guide me and didn’t really worry about the outcome. However, I am pleased with how they turned out and I guess you could say they were quite humourous. I really enjoy experimenting with collage and playing with the Idea that “YOU CAN CREATE NEW AND INTERESTING THINGS FROM THE OLD OR ALREADY EXISTING”. I have experimented with photo montage in this project but it was beneficial to use collage and I’ve never experimented with half drawing-half collage so that was something new. Manifesto has definitely opened my eyes to new materials and techniques.

PRINT

Within manifesto, I also have experimented with a culmination of print techniques. To create this print, I used a variety of processes including: Monoprint, Simple Etching, Collage, Colour Blending, Drawing and Printing by dipping items into ink and simply pressing them onto the paper.  I feel the result is fairly successful considering I am not at all experienced in the area of print. It looks visually interesting and was enjoyable to create even though it was quite time-consuming. I could think about collaging the magazine imagery on top of this print that I have already produced.  To create the mark making, I simply drew onto the back of the print on top of a surface if ink (monoprint). I have included cross hatching and varied marks to achieve quite a visually interesting effect. To produce the round dot like effect, I dipped different sized bubble wrap into different coloured inks and simply stamped/printed them onto the paper. I blended red and yellow inks for the background using oil based inks, rolling them out, rolling onto plastic and feeding it through the etching press with paper layed on top of it. This session encouraged me to think about combining different techniques, processes and materials to create artworks, rather than being traditional in my approach.

FROTTAGE

In the 3rd session of manifesto, I experimented with the technique of frottage – the technique or process of taking a rubbing from an uneven surface to form the basis of a work of art. I produced many rubbings from  variety of surfaces and starting cutting them up to create something new.  I can see how this technique could be effective and would definitely help create texture within artwork. Some textures are incredibly hard to draw e.g. corugated cardboard, so this method could definitely help with that. However, I didn’t enjoy experimenting with frottage and nor did I create anything I was happy with, so I will have to play with it more. Maybe I could combine it with magazine imagery or use it to collage on top of prints etc.

MAX ERNST

When Experimenting with frottage, I was introduced to the work of Max Ernst, an artist who uses the textures he achieves from frottage to create imagery. For example, if he rubbed a surface that gave him a drawing of a texture that looked like fish scales, he would use it to make a piece that included a fish of some kind. He found frottage far more beneficial than wasting time drawing textures. It was interesting to see what an established artist had done with frottage and the benefits of working with it.

 
Frottage Works by Max Ernst

Manifesto for me has been all about experimentation and getting a feel for new processes and new ways of making artwork. I think it has been very beneficial and a valuable insight into techniques that could be developed within my own personal art practice.