For this semester, our rotation of Print, Photo and Collage projects are based around the theme 'Power of 3', which we can interpret in any way we like.
I chose to use religion as my starting point, where the number 3 crops up in many different religions. One of the things I found very interesting is a procedure in Islamic faith called Wudu, where you would wash your hands, arms, face and feet 3 times each, in preparation for formal prayer. I also love the pattern found in Islamic architecture and textiles, which I used as inspiration to start this project.
I decided to use lino-cut this time for my process. I've never used it before, and I was really keen to try it out. It's so incredibly versatile, and I have already bought two other sheets to continue within my own work! I also mixed it with monoprint, layering different colours and splashing white spirit onto the plate to get a texture that might say water or purity. Then I cut out three different stencil designs to print through!
This time, presentation was also very important, and so I decided to lay my final prints on the floor in the direction of Mecca (approximately... my compass on my phone was a little suspicious...). The critique went well, although I am going to change the pattern, because displayed like this, they look too much like tyre tracks! Overall, extremely happy with the outcome of this project, am really looking forward to the next ones!
