The reduction linocut process

After painting for a number of years, I began making relief prints in 1985.  I wanted to make works in color on an intimate scale and I found the gesture of the cut line very satisfying on a small scale.  I was inspired, by Picasso’s beautiful linocuts, to try the reduction method of printing.  This is a method by which each color is printed from the same block, the block being cut again, or reduced between each printing.  While this method eliminates some possibilities, such as complex color configurations which are the result of transparent overlays, and predictable editions, it somewhat simplifies the registration process and adds an element of suspense to the work.  The suspense helps to keep the work exciting from beginning to end.

I begin by making a black and white line drawing in pencil or charcoal which I transfer to the block.  After that I rarely refer to the drawing, working intuitively on the block.  My imagery is also intuitive and, though it is figurative, it is rarely narrative.  I work primarily on European mold-made rag papers with lithographic and etching inks.

Development of “Inheritance” by the reduction linocut process