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 a monochrome test print (in black) for the sixth stage. Compared to the red test print made for the fifth stage, the nose, lips, right cheek line, and hat pattern have been removed. The addition of the black indicates the elements that Picasso intends to highlight.
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 a monochrome test print (in black) for the sixth stage. Compared to the red test print made for the fifth stage, the nose, lips, right cheek line, and hat pattern have been removed. The addition of the black indicates the elements that Picasso intends to highlight.
(SAKAMOTO Kyoko)
*You can see other works from this series .