From the late 1950s, Pablo Picasso became enthusiastic about printmaking using linoleum. A form of relief printing, "linocut," as the technique is known, involves cutting a design into a linoleum plate and then applying ink to the areas that remain. But instead of preparing one separate plate for each color, Picasso developed a method of progressively carving the same plate and printing different colors from it as he went. This reduction process is necessarily restrictive, because once a plate has been carved it cannot be undone, but Picasso saw in this limitation a creative challenge affording new possibilities. Here he has actively incorporated imagery as it emerged during the production process, creating a unique series that captures a gradually evolving vision of a woman.
This is from the first stage. White ink has been applied to a plate engraved with the outline of a woman’s face. This print was then made using paper pre-printed uniformly black. The result is a gray-toned face with a solid black outline.
This site uses cookies in order to improve your experience and conduct site analysis. By clicking “OK,” you agree to the use of cookies on this site. For further information, please see the Privacy Policy.
From the late 1950s, Pablo Picasso became enthusiastic about printmaking using linoleum. A form of relief printing, "linocut," as the technique is known, involves cutting a design into a linoleum plate and then applying ink to the areas that remain. But instead of preparing one separate plate for each color, Picasso developed a method of progressively carving the same plate and printing different colors from it as he went. This reduction process is necessarily restrictive, because once a plate has been carved it cannot be undone, but Picasso saw in this limitation a creative challenge affording new possibilities. Here he has actively incorporated imagery as it emerged during the production process, creating a unique series that captures a gradually evolving vision of a woman.
This is from the first stage. White ink has been applied to a plate engraved with the outline of a woman’s face. This print was then made using paper pre-printed uniformly black. The result is a gray-toned face with a solid black outline.
(SAKAMOTO Kyoko)
* You can see other works from this series .