Performative Mark making using Screen-printing

The following prints were made in 2018 as part of my AA2A residency at De Montfort University. They were created during those ‘in between’ moments while you are waiting for prints to dry before you move on to the next stage of the process.

Much of my work explores mark-making, be that with charcoal, paint, mixed media or with my body. Layers are another important element, not just the physical layers of medium, marks, texture, form and colour, but metaphysical layers that are created through time, show time, through movement, show movement, made with emotion and show emotion, explore meaning and then communicate it.

These prints were created using a force of physicality and movement, that required opposing processes – basic elements of pre planning, then embodied and intuitive responses to the now of my emotional, mental and physical being. The screen was large scale and so the bodily strength required was greater still.

The act of printmaking thus became a performance that was enacted before students, technicians and lecturers alike. The performances were un-announced and the audiences may have been completely unaware that a performance was taking place, but through treating the process as an improvised performative work, the marks produced were intuitive and unrestrained.

Red and Orange, Scrim, Rag and Brush Marks 
Screen Print 
2018

Red, Orange and Soft Pink, Rag Marks 
Screen Print
2018

Red and Orange, Rag and Scrim, Diagonal
Screen Print
2018

Red, Orange and Soft Pink, Scrim, Brush and Rag Marks Screen Print
2018

Red, Orange and Pink, Rag Marks
Screen Print
2018

You Can’t Shake Hands With A Clenched Fist

This new public participatory project explores a new, creative and altogether more holistic and respectful approach to discussion and debate. The current political discourse is swamped with people shouting at and over each other and I want to explore a more gentler approach, through art, to see whether it is at all possible to learn from and find common ground with each other.

Artist in Residence (AA2A)
De Montfort University
2017 – 2018

You Can’t Shake Hands With A Clenched Fist
Project Poster #1
Screen Print
2018

You Can’t Shake Hands With A Clenched Fist
Project Poster #2
Screen Print
2018

You Can’t Shake Hands With A Clenched Fist
Project Poster #3
Screen Print
2018

You Can’t Shake Hands With A Clenched Fist
Project Poster #4
Screen Print
2018

You Can’t Shake Hands With A Clenched Fist
Project Poster #5
Screen Print
2018

You Can’t Shake Hands With A Clenched Fist
Project Poster #6
Screen Print
2018

I Am A Woman #1
Screen Print
2018

I Am A Woman #2
Screen Print
2018

I Am Woman #3
Screen Print
2018

Between 2nd and the 5th of August 2017 at NN Contemporary Art, I piloted the project and tested the methodology. Participants were invited to ‘have a conversation’ or were welcome to just talk to me if they were in need to get things off their chest. This pilot focused on four conversation topics: Money, Diversity, The Environment and Education. The conversations were transcribed onto large sheets of wallpaper and the participants invited to select a key phrase to use in creating their own campaign poster. The final element being a symbolic hanging of ‘aired laundry’. Through each participation, the conversation builds, ideas exchanged, opinions challenged and an installation created over time. Colour is a key factor in all visual protests, for both symbolic and marketing reasons. For this pilot, red was chosen as it is an attention grabbing, visually impressive colour.

Below are images of the final installation. To view texts of conversations in full, a reflection of the process and comments from participants, please visit this blog.