About XGen 2 / CV5
For this spring Print Club edition, I’ve worked up something that’s quite saturated, quite bold, and hopefully a real splash of colour to greet the spring as it comes in.
XGen 2 / chromatic variation 5 is taken from a new set of drawings designed to explore, and riff on, the energy contained within a simple X form. I hope the edition captures some of the kinetic energy and life contained within the essence of the original form too.
The study builds on a simple X shaped grid that generates the underlying drawing, which I overlaid with experimental mark making, building up layers of texture and colour to work the piece up into something a little more painterly than many of my previous editions have been.
I like the idea that the ink seems quite fluid, but also sits on a fairly rigid geometric grid. That combination would be hard to achieve off system I think, and as ever, I really enjoy seeing if I can make the digital speak with a little more soul, and just generally feel more haptic than might otherwise be the case. A lot of the joy, for me, is in the unexpected overlaps and misalignments in the final drawings.
I feel there’s something of Sean Scully’s style here too, I’m drawn to his works, but always with a slight scepticism. I tend to feel there’s something a little suspect about that bravura level of underworking, but really I think I’m just envious of the raw confidence he brings to his mark making!
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XGen CV5 / EPC #21
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Edition of 26, plus 4 APs
10 colour pigment print on Hahnemühle 340 gsm Photo Rag Metallic
Printed in the studio, April 20th 2022
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Sheet size 44cm W x 44cm H
Image size 34cm W x 34cm H
In situ and in the studio
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Print Club News / January 24th, 2022
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...I like January, there’s a crispness to the air and the light, and of course, it’s always good to be inside out of the cold, working in the gloaming. I guess part of the joy is that I don’t feel as though I’m missing out on very much when I’m in the studio at this time of year!
I’ve started work on a new series, the second of my XGen studies, that are exploring, and riffing on, the energy contained within a simple X form. These latest versions have taken on a few lessons from the Stellify 4 folded works I sent out in December. In particular the idea of using colour blocks, or more specifically multiple coloured areas within a single study, as opposed to toning the whole image as a single more sculptural piece. It’s an idea that gives a far more geometric feel to the final images, and maybe more punch? As I was working through a number of ideas for sculpting the first model for the series, I realised that there was the possibility of creating some quite lively ‘under paintings’ which would be more 2d than the main works, but hopefully could still have some real interest. I’m particularly keen to study the way the colour blocks are moving in an almost painterly way, with a lot of edge interest. There’s a lot of technique required to make that happen, as you can imagine, the system needs a lot of pushing to loosen up this much...
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Associated works
