Jim Innes Monotypes
Thursday, 23 April 2009
A monotype is essentially a printed painting. It is created by ‘covering a metal plate entirely with etching ink, then removing the ink partially or wholly for the lighter and white areas of the picture being made… If the ink is too thickly applied, it will spread from the pressure when printed, forming a blot; if [it is] too thin [applied], it won’t show up at all. When the picture on the plate is finished, it is run through an etching press with dampened rag paper to form a unique one-of-a-kind print. Almost all the ink transfers fo the paper so it is not possible to make more than one print, hence the prefix mono.’ (Monoprints)
This printing technique also produces a unique translucency that creates a quality of light very different from a painting on paper or a print. The challenge of this technique lies in envisioning and anticipating the final image, since the artwork is prepared spontaneously without any sketches. There is limited control over the result. However, this technique produces beautiful artwork, with effects that cannot be replicated through any other media.
Here are two monotypes by Jim Innes that I thought were exceptionally beautiful.