Calaveras continuum...

Here are etchings I made for casting...the process is on. Busy busy busy....

Calavera Cast aka Tomb Stone

There it is....my fun times with the mock up cast...Images show various applications of materials...ink, gouache, watercolour, graphite, various gold decorative paints plus some carving, scratching and general mish-mash...now it is more clear to me what effect the mediums will bring, what not to do....and the excitement is growing coz all in all...it will look Great!Now...off to producing more....

Calaveras Update..

Here is the first mock up cast...the trained eye can see the principle mistake of a rookie...however that's what the mock up are for. Someone suggested today this looks like a tomb stone and I think I like it. An idea of how to display them starts to blossom too. I think this is really taking the shape I wanted and now I just need to make a series of about 6 different casts and I'll be home. Meanwhile I'll be experimenting with this first cast to see if it can get any better...

Fashion Calaveras II

After a short brake from my 'Death' theme I'm presenting some recent designs. These went quite of a way from being very messy thanks to monoprinting through being cleaned out by photoshop and marvellous masking liquid and arrived at the mixture of both monoprint and flexible methods of cleaning the image. I decided to remove any additional type too leaving just a 'Vogue' header. The plan for these is deep photoetching (probably on zinc) to be cast printed.

Cyanotype

Appropration. 'Where Are All The Real Man Gone?'.

One of projects I'm working on from printmaking. It was supposed to be a triptyc with a title 'Where Are All The Real Man Gone?' I had it in my mind for ages and now came the opportunity to take it out on paper. The inspiration came from personal experience and film industry of 50s - 70s Hollywood, the classic archetypes of what male and female were back in the day. Photos of Marilyn Monroe, Clark Gable, Humphrey Bogart acted as my image sources to create the designs and final prints.
The series divide threefold. First is a sunset, second - full moon night and third a sunrise ( the last one still in production). 

Here are some experimental images plus the first print.

 'Where are all the real man gone? Sunset'  Monoprint, Copy transfer, Mix-Media

'Where are all the real man gone? Night' Monoprint, copy transfer, mix media

 

Fashion Calaveras

This is my first monoprint attempt and I'm pleased with the effect, because while I use ready-images the thechnique is not trying to copy it but adds to the pastish effect.

This is just a negative I made coz I could....

 

And another one. I'll try to make this design again as I'm not fully satisfied with the writing.

The last one is just an experiment with a background and more fashion photo design, so it may not have as clear message as previous ones.

Legends and Myths Project

I have chosen 'Death' as my theme. My initial inspiration came from Carlos Castaneda books. I was reading them intensily in college era and even started to practice tensegrity myself. It was very unusual, magical and cool thing to do. What I liked about the idea of 'death' in Castaneda's stories was that it was making me familiar with this subject in a deep, profound and calm way. It was like domesticating me to the inevitable fate. The ancient Mexicans belived the death is their lifelong companion who seats on their left shoulder throughout their existance on earth. It is like the best advisor one could have in any difficult time of decision. It is bringing significance to every minute of once life. It shows the importance of human life and all our deeds. 'Death' here isn't something one should fear or run away from into ignorance and impermanent obssesions as many people do these days. The looks, youth and prettyness fixations are fulled by mass media, finding a fertile ground of our vanity. And the cold fact catches us soon or later. People who have lived through death of their close ones gain a powerful insight into sens of life. In a way they appreciate life for there is death. I belive that our Western culture would gain tremendous power if it would recognise its mortality.
The visual inspiration came from Jose Posada. He was a Mexican printmaker/illustrator and in the mexican spirit was a creator of Calaveras.

The representation of people as a 'walking sceletons' was the most natural thing for Mexicans and it still is. In the spirit of medival 'Danse Macabre' the extremely emaciated visitor to kings, peasants and bishops was a reminder of transience.


My idea is to create contemporary fashion Calaveras. I want to use the irony and satire of Posada illustrations to promote impermanance of fashion trends, beauty and showiness or so I belive.

These are my skull sketches.




Now let us see if I'll succed. I wanted first to use monoprint or/and colography but now I'm inclined to photoetching or screenprint. Any suggestions?

50+5

The inspiration for these paper bags came from toys I found in V&A Childhood Museum.