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Building Babel

Collagraphs by Belinda King

About two years ago I had a temporary part-time teaching post in a school and was faced with a printmaking project with no materials! I had seen a printmaker friend work on intaglio collagraphs, and they seemed the obvious solution. My trial print was a revelation. For some time I had been trying to achieve sculptural and textural effects with etching and here was my answer. Not only that but the materials were cheap and harmless and the blocks very easy to make.

Building BabelI have developed a particular style with my collagraphs. I do a drawing which I then photocopy several times on different thickness’ of paper, from 80 - 100gm, and thin card. I then cut out areas from these photocopies and build up the image in layers of paper, with each line on my drawing represented by a change of level making a fine ledge. The image is then glued to mountboard using Evostik wood glue, and the dark areas achieved by scoring round and removing the top layer of card, exposing a rough texture. I can then add extra lines by drawing with a hard pencil or scoring with a knife. Finally I add texture with woodglue. The completed block is then varnished with button polish and left overnight to dry.

Most of my images require a background block adding a second colour and overall texture. Usually this is textured wood glue with some areas of stuck paper, and occasionally I use a wood block for the grain.

The collograph is inked up and printed like an etching on an etching press. I mix my inks with weak copperplate oil, gently dab away the excess ink with muslin, and do most of my wiping with old 'Yellow Pages', wiping very flat and gently. Variations in tone are achieved with cotton buds. I find that the blocks will last for about 20 prints.

The print reproduced here is entitled 'Building Babel', and like many of my images is inspired by medieval and Ancient Egyptian art. Although it worked well on white paper I felt it needed to look like something which might have been discovered in an ancient tomb! I spent a couple of days trying to turn 300gm double elephant paper into parchment. It is immersed in very strong hot tea and carefully scrunched up before printing. It looks dreadful until it has been through the press, but dries quite flat when taped to a board. Finally I tear and singe the edges.

My work can be seen in many galleries in East Anglia, including Printworks in Colchester, the Cambridge Contemporary Art Gallery, Gainsborough's House in Sudbury and the Bircham Gallery near Kings Lynn.

I am available to run workshops and have a small portable press.
Tel: 01787 210932 or write to 14 Vicary Estate, Assington, Sudbury, Suffolk, CO10 5LL.

Forthcoming solo exhibitions:
Garden Cafe Gallery, Lewes, Sussex (with wood engraver Sybella Styles) - 16 Nov. to end Dec '96.
Fire Engine Gallery, Ely - October '97


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