1. The piece of art chosen to for this question is called ôToleranceö (1993) by Frances Jetter. It appears to be a linocut. A linocut is similar to a woodcut, one of the most basic printmaking processes, however it uses sheet linoleum, which is gouged or cut to produce an image or texture, then inked and printed by the relief or intaglio method. Linoleum is softer and easier to use than wood and so can produce many more different looks in the printmaking process(ôCollecting Printsö www.coskunfineart.com; Picassomio www.the-artists.org).
This piece seems to use the intaglio method, which is where the artist carves, cuts, gouges, or bites (using acid) the image onto the linoleum (or wood or metal, otherwise known as the matrix) and then rubs ink into these lines, making sure that the untouched areas are cleaned of ink. In the mean time the paper has been previously soaked in water. When it is laid over the matrix and the squashed through the printing press, the soft paper is pushed into the grooves of the inked lines and transfers the image onto the paper (Picassomio www.the-artists.org). In this print, lines not only create the outline of the image, but also have been used to create depth and shadow. Color is added using either separate blocks for each color or by hand before it is printed, known as a la poupee (ôHow Do I Pull A Print?ö www.washingtonprintmakers.com).
2. The Pam Cooper art piece chosen to discuss in this question is ôMerry-go-roundö (2002). A ômixed-methodö design was used, created on a single matrix and using a variety of techniques. According to Cooper, she uses a ôvariety of commonly found household items, photographs, scissors, needles, pins, thread, sewing patternsö as well as other objects and incorporates them into her handmade paper and printmaking processes. Additionally, she allows any metal objects she uses to rust, giving the piece more texture, as well as more color (ôCut, Bite, & S...