3.1 PRINTMAKING
Analyse methods and ideas from
established printmaking practice .
MOVEMENT AND
BEAUTY
21 May 1471 – 6 April 1528
A German Painter, Printmaker, Goldsmith,
Mathematician, Engraver and Theorist from
Nuremberg.
His work was successful right from the young
age of twenty. Much of his work is based
around religion, portraits both of others and
himself, and watercolour landscapes.
His grandfather was a goldsmith but turned
to printing, he had many very successful
printing companies. His father was a
goldsmith also who trained his son in this
profession and expected him to stay doing
the family business.
Albrecht however had a talent for art so
gain an apprenticeship with at the time
Nuremberg’s leading artist Michael
Wolgemut at the age of fifteen in 1486.
The four riders of the
apocalypse
The so called small Triumphal Car
(the burgundian marrige)
Knight and Landsknecht
The work of Albrecht Durer I will be looking at is:
“The Revelation of St John: 4. The Four Riders of
the Apocalypse”
This was made just before 1500 when everyone
thought the world was going to end.
Durer came from Northern Europe (Germany)
which had a more pessimistic style than in Italy
where it was warm and sunny. Artists like Raphael
didn’t often do such gloomy subjects.
This woodcut is the most common artwork showing
all four riders. This woodcut is finely engraved with
thin line. Durer is highly skilled and creating such
fine detail and variety of patterns, lines, textures
with wood is very difficult. Almost looks like and
engraving in the amount of fine detail.
The lines give it a very strong visual impact as it
adds emphasis to the riders and creates a sense of
power to them. The level of anatomical accuracy
and natural detail was extremely high at this time
which is why Durer was such a popular artist.
This woodcut has fine detail right down to hades
following death in the bottom corner. Even death
himself seems crazed into his task and also his
horse displays this same craze.
The revelation of S.John
(Apocalypse) The four riders of the
apocalypse (Rev. VI, 2-8). B. CF. V.
oechelauser’s Apok. Reither, Berlin
1885)
White Horse = Conquest.
Red Horse = War
Black Horse = Famine
Pale Horse/Green Horse = Death.
Born June 16, 1935 till present, American Pop Artist.
Some of his first works displayed in the Norton Simon Museum, is considered
to be a massive change in the art industry as him and a handful of other
artist developed ‘pop art’ out of everyday objects.
Most of his work relates to imagery that is significant to himself for example
his artwork of tools symbolise his relationship with his father.
Many of his works relate to his family.
Owl in the Kitchen
Youth and The
Maiden
Double Pacific Gift
This image was my favorite of Jim Dine’s
works that I looked at.
1996 Owl In The Kitchen
Waterless lithograph on Clarence House
wallpaper Paper 90.2 x 69.5 cm
Edition of 16
MIA 107
This wallpaper was originally for another
artist but when Jim saw it he asked if he
could have a play with it. At first it didn’t
work as the wallpaper resisted the ink but
upon careful consideration they got the
work to stick to the wallpaper.
Having an Owl in the kitchen would be a
problem as they might make a mess. This
tension between the wild and the domestic
is reinforced in the difference between the
gestural ink drawing of the Owl and clean
reproduction of the wall paper.
There is also a contrast between the found
mechanically printed wallpaper and the
personal handmade gestural drawing of
the owl.
Street Artist born 1978
(Caledonia Dance Curry)
Swoon often works with imagery of people,
friends and family and pastes them around
places like bridges, fire escapes,
abandoned buildings, water tower’s and
street signs. She seems like a free spirit that’s
been unleashed on the world to spread the
joy and creativity of art.
Swoon makes a lot of different types of artwork
and often uses installation which is what I would
like my work to head towards if it will fit in with my
idea.
Her paper cut outs are true inspiration and a very
clear personal style and signature work
Poster for First solo Show
“Her work is inspired by both art
historical and folk sources,
ranging from German
Expressionist wood block prints
to Indonesian shadow
puppets.”
Swoon’s use of interesting printing surfaces is an inspirational part of her artwork. Also
she has a distinctive style which I personally adore. Her works are so creative and
passionate and I feel they really capture a hidden message about the people within
her images. You can tell through her art that she has a relationship with these people.
Swoon makes the prints in her studio but places them on street walls rather than a
gallery. This is because her work is about the people and for the people. It has a very
political purpose in that she wants to create social change and help people.
Swoon is similar in some ways to Shepherd Fairey and Banksy.
Fairy because they both use print, stencil, multimedia techniques to develop one-off
images that promote social issues. Although fairy also makes print runs of posters like
“Obey” which he sticks up around town.
Banksy because the art is intended to be in the street rather than the gallery. The
difference here is that while Swoon is usually positive and advocating the strength of
the people, Banksy is often subversive and critical of everything (but mainly authority)
“there would be free art
posters and dancing and
Japanther and a pirate
radio station and bootleg
electricity and bicycles and
hundreds of people and it
would all work without
getting busted by the
police” – Jeff Stark
Installation.
La Boca del Lobo, in
collaboration with
Polina Soloveichik and
Alison Corrie, Black
Floor Gallery,
Philadelphia 2006
The similarities between Swoon and Dine in these two
works are the expressionism between the two pieces of
work. Both share a similar style with a minimal background
and an image using a ‘scratchy’ and expressive
approach to mark making. Woodcuts are a technique
that they use to create graphic and emotional works.
Dine is more focused on personal expression of his own
mental state and history whereas Swoon is trying to make
art about the people around her and create social
change.
Dine’s work is more conventional in that it explores pure
print processes and sits within a gallery context. Swoon is
more innovation in combining print processes with street
art and a lot of her work is not sold in galleries.
The similarities between Durer and Swoon are the detail of the figures and the use of patterns
and decoration. Durer uses lines to emphases the horsemen’s energy and suggestion of
movement, while Swoon uses pattern to add effect to her lovers – two figures
Both artists reflect the time they live in but their reactions are different. Durer is responding to
everyone’s fear about the end of the world (he makes money selling these popular themes)
whereas Swoon is trying to use her art to help people – make their lives more beautiful
Both artists are political in a way. Durer served kings a promoted their power while Swoon is
fighting the unfairness of capitalist society.
I don’t think that Swoon would be able to do what she does today in the 1500’s. If Durer was
alive today it would be interesting to see if he just wanted to make money being and artist of if
he used his art to create social change.
Although my artist have a lot of similarities there is also many
differences. Durer being woodcuts doesn’t use colour as an aid in
impact whereas Swoon does use colourful patterns to highlight
things. Jim Dine also uses colour but in another completely
different way to my other artists, Dine uses a very limited colour
palette and yet it still highlights his work in a completely different
way. To all my artist colour is used differently. The different colours
reflect different processes but also create different effects. Bright
colours would not be appropriate for Durer’s Four Horsemen, and
dull colours wouldn’t help Swoon’s positive message.
The artists I have chosen have a sense of creativity within everyday objects or
scenarios – roles that are seen or were seen/occurred in society.
Durer shares his own views on how things are meant to be rather than how
everybody interprets them and has such a talent with his materials whereas
Jim Dine uses everyday imagery to share his own story about life, death, emotion
and love.
Swoon on the other hand combines both how everybody else see’s things and
the everyday to create extreme works pushing the idea’s of love and emotion,
poverty and humanity.
All three artist create images that strike the viewer and are memorable due to
the expressive marking making nature and contrast with tone and colour.
All three artists try to communicate ideas rather than simply record what objects
look like.
Dine – uses still life to communicate his inner struggle and feelings
Durer – uses bible stories and grand images to communicate social values of the
time
Swoon – uses figurative elements to promote ideas of social values and positive
change.
This relates to the statement by Paul Klee that:
“The purpose of art is not to render the visible, but to render visible”.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
• The complete woodcuts of ALBRECHT DURER by Dr.
Willikurth
• Swoon, Abrams, New York c 2010
• Jim Dine Prints 1985 – 2000. A catalogue Raisonne