AKUA Exhibition

My print "Second Skin" was selected to be included in the upcoming Akua ink exhibition "Pushing the Limits" and will be exhibited at the Central Booking Gallery in New York City. http://www.akuainks.com/2014-nyc-exhibition

When I was working up ideas for the PNSNE portfolio project, I had originally thought that it would be interesting to have a double sided print. The size of the edition and time constraints changed my mind but I had printed extra prints to play around with so I was able to try out the double image idea. The finished mono-print was submitted for the AKUA show.

Because the original print is folded in thirds, I didn't really want to frame it in a traditional manner and was hoping to have it displayed as a free standing work. Creating a second image for the back gave the original print more stability. I used an archival bookbinding paste to adhere the two prints together and the two layers of Hahnemuhle Copperplate made the piece quite rigid. It stands up nicely without flopping in on itself.

Back of print.

I liked the idea of figures for the back of the original print so I made a few body prints by inking up a sheet of plexiglass with Akua intaglio ink, pressing myself against the surface, and then transferring the ink on my body to paper. I photographed the prints and then reduced them to the appropriate size using Photo Shop. Transparencies were made and the plate was created with ImagOn film adhered to a sheet of plexiglass and inked as an intaglio print.

I'm really pleased with the results. The print became more "book like" and it's interesting to be able to view both front and back.

Presentation.

To present the piece, I made a pouch out of the Akua wiping fabric. It not only protects the print but keeps it folded. The translucent quality of the fabric adds another layer of "skin"; a nice gossamer third skin. 

                   

So here's the final transformation of Second Skin; from a portfolio piece to a free standing, two-sided accordion print.