Final Screen-Print

This is the finished product of my silk screen from last week. I took the screen and created a finished piece and added in some collaged pieces to top it all off. I think it turned out cute!

As for the connection with Warhol, there is no new revelation here. It is still a very mechanical process, and I did add in another media to the work as he often did in his work. We'll see what comes up as I write my reflection.

Another Screen Print

This is another attempt at screen printing. I modeled this design after my Scottish Terrier, Ruby. I tried to keep the design simple because the screen stencils are hard to cut if they get too complicated. And forget adhering them.

Warhol used to send our his designs to be pre-made by a printing company. He never cut the stencil himself. Yet another attempt by Warhol to be as "machine-like" as possible.

Another Stencil

This is another stencil print I did. I created it using a pre-cut stencil and then I added my personal touch (as usual). This form of printing really doesn't give me much insight into Warhol's work, its just fun.

Warhol Style Screenprints

While I was printing my original screen prints and while the screen was wet, I decided to try printing as Warhol did. I took the same image and repeated it over the ground multiple times. I did not clean the screen, I did not try to print cleanly or precisely, nor did I worry about positioning. I just printed one after another like Warhol. Amazingly, it yielded an industrial looking piece quickly and easily.

When thinking about the process, I realized how Warhol viewed this style of art. Warhol often said, "I want to be a machine." In adopting this style of art, he achieved his goal as closely as he could. A machine can not stop to see the imperfections or reposition the screen or paper for centering. It just prints, over and over, without "looking." In doing this exact process, I gained an understanding of how this type of printmaking process was in fact just like a mechanical process.

Finished Screen Print

Here is my original finished screen print.

Screen Printing

I tired my first screen print yesterday. The process is quite a bit more complicated than some of the other designs, but still a very mechanical process (This is what Warhol wanted). Screen prints are done using the following steps (this is the abridged version)...
1. Draw a simple design on copy paper. Tape that design down to a drawing board.
2. Place stenciling film over the design and tape down.
3. Cut the design that shows through the film with a stencil knife using light pressure. Peel the green film from the plastic backing.
4. Adhere the film to a silk screen with adhering fluid. Let dry.
5. Peel plastic backing from the screen (this will leave the green adhered film to the screen.
6. Place paper under the screen.
7. Add ink to the screen and pull ink across the screen with a squeegee, creating the design on the paper.

Another Logo Design

Warhol was fascinated by commercial art. He created many of his signature pieces using logos from existing consumer products. I tried this concept with my own consumer product. I used a common peanut butter jar and copied the label, repeating it over the paper. I finished mt design in mixed media (watercolor, colored pencil, and marker).

In doing this design, I was forced to see this product in a different way than usual. Normally, I would just pull this jar from my cabinet and make a sandwich, but this work forced me to see this common product as an artwork. I was able to study the shapes and layout of the label in a way I never had before.