Double meaning

Completed my first piece for the upcoming show at the Mark Twain house, which is scheduled for 2022/2023.

"Caustic" is a monoprint collage. My inspiration was a quote about anger which resonated on a personal level.  Everyone gets angry. But, there are some angers that are so deep seated one has to make an effort not to let them eat away at you. Even though you keep them hidden, there are times when they occupy ones thoughts more than intended.

In progress close-up of "Caustic"

Starting with a shadow image of myself, a series of photos were downloaded and manipulated in PhotoShop. The Solarplate I made was printed on both Arnham paper and rice paper. At this point I wasn't sure which direction this would go but decided to cut out the figure and use assorted Awagami Japanese papers to fill the void, allowing me to build up a mixture of colors, layers and textures. See the completed piece here https://mknightleary.blogspot.com/.

When I began working on this the Corona Virus pandemic hadn't hit it's peak in this country, but not the case as I was finishing it up. Sadly, the image took on a whole new meaning as more and more people were being diagnosed with Covid 19. Instead of anger I keep thinking about a virus attacking the body.

When I recently found this image on line, the resemblance to my print was definitely unsettling. Time to explore the possibilities of a second monoprint.