LANDforms Exhibition Preview (Mungo)

Bleeding Sand

Beneath the Sand

Weathering

Three more from LANDforms continuing with works about Lake Mungo. Weathering and Beneath the Sand were accidents. They started as collagraphs using tissue paper and glue placed onto a zinc plate. I used the zinc plate hoping that it would be more durable than cardboard or wood but paste and Bondcrete gradually wore down after many experiments. After taking a print I like to drip gum turps and a drop of oil onto the inked remnants left on the plate and then take a ghost print. Weathering was the result consisting of small bits of gold leaf, hardly visible, that mingled with the ink, oil and turps. More luck than good management was how the liquid ingredients stayed within the print of the plate’s edge.

Beneath the Sand began as a failed viscosity print over which I incorrectly placed gold leaf which peeled of in places revealing reverse viscosity ink layering. Two layers of transparent paper allowed the main shape to print in silhouette making the shape beneath resemble a below surface rock conglomeration.

I like the nuanced and layered Bleeding Sand print, and while less happy accident it depicts the multi layered types of process that occur within the dune, Rain and wind carry silt from low red hills turning the lunette pink through seepage. Ink was combined with chine-colle and silver leaf on red paper.

I double printed the collagraph plate revealing and obscuring parts of the prints as I hoped to emphasise the vertical downward movement of water and silt.

Many images of Mungo began with a frottage taken from a landform at the site. When I return to my studio I incorporate it into a larger composition. I wondered if making the collagraph in a way that inadvertently resembled a frottage got the impetus moving as I usually put frottage into oil painting or mixed media rather than into a printmaking technique?.