Centipede Print

I’ve been working on and off on this seven-block centipede print for the past year.  This is basically what happens with block prints: I get an idea, and it seems really good, but I never really factor in the amount of work that is involved nor the nature of the medium I inevitably choose to work with.  Then I slowly work on cutting a number of linoleum blocks and think about how to create the final print.

In this instance, I discovered that I couldn’t find a long-enough sheet of printing paper, and had to force a few curves into the print, also leaving an annoying empty spot in the center, that tomorrow I’ll be filling in with a couple quick pill-bug prints.  But the process was fun to do.  I don’t have access to a press, and with a project this large it’s probably not practical anyway, so each print is done with seven blocks arranged and printed one by one, in a painstaking process.

The result is better than I feared, but not quite as nice as I’d hoped.  Still, what I like about relief printing is the relative simplicity of it all.  I simply need a material that cuts easily, paper, and water-based ink.  No acids, no major processes necessary, just a baren, or in this case my hands, and lots of ink.  Eventually, I just started standing on the whole thing and using my feet as a press.  It was fun in its way, although my girlfriend may never get used to my habit of swearing loudly and aggressively with every minor mistake.  The final result, for now:

All images © Eric Battaglia 2009