Despite many challenges and much problem solving along the way I really enjoyed exploring chine colle as a printing medium. I really found it a useful way of adding colour, detail and interest to a block relief print. I found a long the way some technical hurdles especially applying the glue to the thin collage materials.
After producing my chine colle combined prints I researched and looked at contemporary printmakers that incorporate chine colle in their work.
There were plenty of examples of chine colle to be found on the internet so it is clearly a technique that is popular with artists today. I spend some time looking though the images specially looking for work that I felt I could learn from. Many of the images were from Pinterest and were not very well referenced so I didn’t use any of these. Instead I started with a google search.
Maisie Parker is an artist that I have looked at previously I looked this time at the way she uses collage material. I really like the way Parker uses vibrant colour. Parker tends to be concerned with exploring the figure in her work – something that also interests me. Some of her work is produced using found paper again I am also interested in using found materials. Parker’s detailed figure are very gestural with lively mark making – she uses monochrome ink but adds a riot of vivid colour using chine colle that adds interest to the stark black ink. The chine colle appears to be added in long vertical strips. In “dancer shoes” the vertical lines of colours are sugarly tones of pinks, yellow and palest blue ( reminding me of sticks of seaside rock) these “candy” colours applied in lines work well and contrast with the curves of the figure. Parker has this to say about what inspires her work ” Repetition features strongly ….. but drawing is at the heart of my work” for me this is what really interests me the most about her work as drawing is always the primary source of my work. I also did attempted to develop a collagraph print sourced from a figure drawing when doing part 4 of this course. It was extremely challenging and I really failed to incorporate the flowing gestural lines of my original drawing into my print. Looking at Parkers work has made it felt that with a mixture of experience , planning and problem solving producing a print from a drawing can be achievable.
Hailey Gaiser is an American artist that produces extraordinary prints using photographs and chine colle as her collage materials. In “Chief Josef” she skilfully juxtapositions elements of digital art with vivid chine colle. In this work Gaiser uses a monochromatic photograph of a Native American chief then layers chine colle paper to achieve striking and vivid colour. The effect is very iconic and has an almost assemblage feel – a multi media style of collage that I find very inspiring. Gaiser approach to printmaking using digital images is not something I had ever thought about doing but I feel inspired to try some printmaking in this way. I am thinking about exploring self portraits for my final work so I am very interesting in trying something different. Looking at more of Gaiser work it is clear she is inspired by colour and culture. Gaister’s work is also very decorative and I felt that she is aiming to capture the essence of her sitter’s personality and character using colour and repeated motifs. Most of her portraits are of well known people including iconic musicians like Michael Jackson. Although I found several examples of Gaiser’s work I couldn’t actually find out much about her at all? I would like to know something about how she chooses her themes and is she selects her portrait sitters?
Artist Suzanne Benton developed combined printmaking using monoprint and chine colle during the early 1980’s when she was living in Germany. I really like Benton’s use of collage material – she uses chine colle shapes and blocks as the integral components of her work they are not merely background but part of the composition. She is also inspired by her intensive travels incorporating her love of different artistic movements and themes including – medieval art , miniature and manuscript painting and Native American art.
Benton uses hand made paper as her collage material. After hand printing her image she places in onto a collagraph plate , then adds embossed chine colle paper. Benton uses archival book glue to glue her image , then runs the plate though an etching press. Like Hailey Glaiser Benton’s work is striking and resplendent it almost has the quality of a religious icon. Benton uses metallic and golden papers that add a richness to her monoprints. Another important aspect of Benton’s work is the way she has looked at the work of historical artists such as Leonardo, Vermeer, Botticelli and Rembrandt literally referencing some of the most recognisable faces from the old masters in her prints.I also discovered Benton’s online online blog from 2014 where she writes about her travels and visits to art galleries such as the National gallery in London. I really like the way that Benton derives inspiration from the old masters and how she pays homage to them in her chine colle prints. This demonstrates that it is okay to be inspired my other artists and that to incorporate elements into your own art. I have indeed noticed myself that I am often influenced my other artists – and that I am inspired by looking at art. But I do feel that artists thoughout history have always done this – there is that saying that going something like this ” nothing is ever new” and I suppose it many ways this also applies to art?
It is clear that the use of chine colle has numerous possiblities for the printmaker. It encourages creativity and is very innovative. I like the way that it adds an extra dimension to printmaking. It has a richness and each print appears to be unique and different.
To conclude I have found this research project extremely helpful as I am just about to start planning my final set of prints – and I feel that I have some sourced some ideas that I will try to use. I plan to use a digital image, and colour.
RESOURCES
http://www.suzannebentonartist.com
creativesomerset.com
Print making one 
So many thanks for reviewing my work! You really get it, and write about it very beautifully.
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Many thanks I really enjoyed looking at your work
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Thank you so much
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