Pressing Matter

This thesis document is divided into eight chapters, each one representative of a step and/or necessary component within traditional printmaking processes. Serving as both didactic terms and metaphoric interpretations, the steps are essential parts of my explorative and reactionary print process, methodically formed through intuition and response. Shedding light on the under workings of my research based practice, influences, and inspirations, each section adopts the traditional vocabulary of print as a strategy to validate the historically under-appreciated single impression (monotype) print and its ability to decelerate viewership. Using the method of “Registration”, I situate my practice in correlation to the land on which I work and live. My “First impressions” on the unique print are aligned with its infinitely distinctive and mysterious characteristics, which support the formulation of the core questions that drive my creative process. The most vital element of my practice, “Pressure”, is an entry point to write more specifically about the (physical) work, which shifts from the outside world to my body, and to the printing press. Chance is unavoidable: It is through “The Reveal” that the diverse potentialities of mediums and materials, as well as the occasionally unexpected variations in the process, display their meaningful impact. “The Proof” is the unique print in all its various states and inclusivity. Inevitably, there are many “Future Editions” to come. Their dissemination and display are dependent on the cyclical elements that enkindle their creation: when one series of work ends, new understandings, gestures and formations unearth, informing the next state. Lastly, the mirroring that occurs when a plate is printed and is revealed in reverse, acts as a reflection. While not knowing exactly how events and decisions during the making process will eventuate, the resolution comes to light by rumination.