Sum Total 1-35

Exhibited at The Gund Gallery at Kenyon College from April 18th-May 21st, 2022.

Motifs of machinery and mechanism have been significant to me throughout my lifetime both personally and artistically. Growing up, my parents taught me to fix what was broken, ranging from cars to washing machines to watches. Taking objects apart was a means of understanding the world around me better, which has in turn influenced my affinity for printmaking as a fundamentally mechanical artistic process.

Discovered by deconstructing watch faces, the shapes selected for this piece are inspired by the internal mechanisms of watches. These parts were chosen because of their unusual forms, implying a relationship to time and relentless adherence to rhythm. While the mechanisms themselves make unusual shapes, reimagining these objects on a larger scale further obscures their function. These metal pieces, called watch bridges, are rendered abstract in relationship to one another in this series.

Combining linoleum prints with layers of dissolved ink creates depth and dimensionality, contributing to the intricacy of each print. Achieved by using mineral spirits on inked plexiglass, the veiled monoprints of diluted pigment merge chemical with mechanical, balancing motion and linearity. Though variability is integral to the process, standardized registration creates structure, keeping expanses of color organized. The use of the same shapes throughout the pieces additionally maintains cohesion and consistency.

Relying on multiplicity, these prints take the concept of iteration to an extreme. Sum Total employs repetition without redundancy, and emphasizes formal color without oversaturation. The series is a reflection on seeking a resting spot in time, and serves as an oath to continue to fix what is broken.

Arranged in a grid of seven by five, the pieces are each 22x30". The installation was 13' tall and 14' across. Sum Total 1-35 was completed in partial fulfillment of the senior capstone for the studio art major at Kenyon College. The program encouraged experimentation and extensive planning, commencing production at the start of the academic year. Resulting in a collection of 35 unique prints using linoleum and monotype techniques, the series was awarded with departmental distinction in the major.