Autour d’Icare: linogravures

Autour d’Icare: linogravures
Atelier Circulaire
June 3 to 23, 2011

Deborah Wood, Talleen Hacikyan, Angelikno, Rolande Pelletier,
Michel Lancelot, et en avant, René Donais.

Autour d’Icare is an exhibit of twenty-eight linocut prints by six artists on the theme of Icarus. All the work has been printed in black, creating a classic look that enhances the graphic quality of linocut printing.

Angelikno, René Donais, Talleen Hacikyan,
Michel Lancelot, Rolande Pelletier, Deborah Wood
La chute d’Icare, linocut print, 213 x 107 cm, 2011

The pièce de résistance is La Chute d’Icare, a large format collaborative work by Angelikno, René Donais, Talleen Hacikyan, Michel Lancelot, Rolande Pelletier and Deborah Wood. The creative process that led to La chute d’Icare is unique. Once the artists decided on portraying a life-size Icarus, Talleen struck the pose of the Greek mythological character falling through the sky. The other artists traced her silhouette onto paper, perfected the sketch freehand and transferred it onto the linoleum plate. This plate was cut into twelve equal pieces. Each artist was assigned two plates randomly, to engrave on their own. Once the plates were assembled, the artists completed their pieces according to the whole work. The resulting print is exhibited next to the engraved linoleum plate, where one can appreciate intricate lines and textures.

The linocut printing technique was first used by the artists of Die Brücke in Germany between 1905 and 1913, where it had been used for wallpaper printing. Picasso and Matisse made many linocuts and helped establish the technique as a professional print medium.

Autour d’Icare at Atelier Circualire

Each artist in this show exhibits a series of prints. Individual identities are given free reign here and these works echo the artists’ contributions to La chute d’Icare. Six artists offer six visions of the Greek myth about Icarus’s failed attempt to escape from Crete by means of wings crafted by his father Daedalus.

Rolande Pelletier, Chute d’Icare I, linocut print, 38 x 28 cm, 2011

Rolande Pelletier plays with a purified style that marries abstract and figurative expression. In Chute d’Icare I, the perched bird, is a reference to Bruegel’s painting on the same theme.

René Donnais, Le bras d’Icare, Linocut print, 2011

René Donais’s Le bras d’Icare, where birds try to escape from the flesh of the forearm, confirms the artist’s fascination for anatomy. Better known as an intaglio artist, René created his first linocuts for this project.

Angelikno, Installation: linocut prints on wood panels,
Icare tombe… et se relève, 2011

Angelikno presents an installation of linocuts on wood panels. She selected sections from her plates in La chute d’Icare. The decomposition and rearranging of imagery create a visual code for new interpretations of the theme.

Talleen Hacikyan, Incoming, Circling, Allegory, Relinquishing, Unworldly, Sunward, linocut prints, 19 x 19 cm each, 2011

Talleen Hacikyan presents a series of six mini prints, executed in the tradition of hand-drawn typography. Icarus’s body spells out the story of his fate while spelling out his name, as if to affirm his existence or to preserve his identity.

Michel Lancelot, Icarus Paris, relief, collage, embossing, 56 x 76 cm, 2011
René Donais, La mère d’Icare, linocut print, 76 x 56 cm, 2011
Michel Lancelot, Icarus Montréal, relief, collage, embossing, 76 x 56 cm, 2011

Michel Lancelot in Icarus Paris and Icarus Montreal, introduces touches of color to the show with maps of the respective cities, forming Icarus’s wings. The maps transpose the mythical character, suggesting the universal and timeless relevance of his story.

Deborah Wood, Chute d’Icare, Linocut print, 64 x 38 cm, 2011

In Deborah Wood’s Chute d’Icare, Icarus is portrayed during his fatal fall. The juxtaposition of the figure with the background also suggests birth or perhaps rebirth.

Autour d’Icare is a rare opportunity to see a show devoted to the linocut and to witness a remarkable artistic collaboration.

Talleen Hacikyan
Coordinator of the Autour d’Icare project

Atelier Circulaire
5445 Avenue de Gaspé, espace 503
Montreal, QC H2T 3B2
[phone]

Lecturing at La Maison Valois

On May 6, I gave an artist’s talk at La Maison Valois in Vaudreuil-Dorion. I enjoyed spending some quality time in this charming historical building. Built in 1796, in fur trading territory, the house was bought by the city of Dorion in 1970. Today La Maison Valois is a cultural centre.

My presentation was part of l’Oeil Ravi’s series of artist’s lectures, organized by Annouchka Gravel Galouchko and Stéphan Daigle. It was an occasion to present my work to a new audience from the region, composed of artists and the general public.

I started the first half of my presentation by showing some original woodcut prints, created in 1985, when I joined Atelier Circulaire. I followed this with a projection of prints from the past nine years.

When I paused the projection midway for a question period, I was pleased to interact with this inquisitive and expressive crowd. There were many technical questions, from artists and non-artists. I continued the projection with step by step photos of me printing at my studio and finished with images my current dress series.

The coffee break was a perfect opportunity for everyone to view the exhibit of my prints and to peruse the table of artist’s books and the display of prints next to their plates. There was a warm feeling in the Maison Valois. People approached me and expressed genuine gratitude.

For the second part of my talk I filled in the missing links between my first woodcuts and the projected work. I showed original prints that represent important periods of my work, commenting on influences, how one stage influenced the next and recurring themes. The audience, alive as ever, asked questions and made perceptive comments that kept me on my toes and giving them more until 10:00 p.m.

It is always interesting to present my work. Each experience reminds me of the undeniable fact that printmaking solicits technical curiosity. People want to know how– how long, what paper, what glue, what wood, what tools, what press. My mother, who was in the audience, remarked the next day, that to hear some of the questions, you’d think that the inquirers were at work in front of a press!

I appreciated sharing thoughts about my art with this audience, in this adorable house with yellow shutters, on the shore of Lake of Two Mountains. Driving home through the night, in my car packed with frames, waiting for the green light at the corner of St. Charles and Adèle in Vaudreuil, my husband excitedly pointed out my name flashing on an electronic board, announcing my lecture. I smiled and thought to myself, “Done!”

Talleen Hacikyan

www.talleen.net

A Fine Day for Steamrollering

Two days left before the Steamroller Printing Event. The weather forecast for Saturday calls for 100% chance of precipitation, and temperatures ranging from 2 to 11 degrees celsius. Not exactly the sunny skies that greeted Icarus on the day of his first and final flight.

Noémie, Deborah, Rolande, Talleen and René at Atelier Circulaire

In preparation for this printing event, a group of five artists and myself have been carving a collective linoleum plate, inspired by The Fall of Icarus (see previous 3 blogs). The past couple of weeks have been full of exciting work sessions with my fellow artists.

Assembling our linoleum plates

Each artist engraved two linoleum plates, sections of our main design. The day we put our pieces together was thrilling. The ensemble of our work took on a life of its own, a very intricate, expressive and unique life. Put into the context of the whole piece, we were better equipped to take decisions regarding our individual plates. We worked on transitions between sections, and fed off each other’s work.

René carves his plate according to Deborah’s, below his


Noémie makes adjustments

There were several other sessions of collaborative work: printing proofs of all our plates, assembling our proofs and making further adjustments on our plates, gluing our linoleum to a 4 by 7 foot piece of plywood, and making a hand printed copy of our piece on Japanese paper. I had planned on hand printing a copy by myself and was happy to get lending hands not only from Rolande, but from Hélène and Mary, who are not working on this project. They couldn’t resist the allure of printing with a spoon, which with the size of our plate, is a real workout!

Rolande, Hélène and Talleen handprinting with spoons

I am humbled by the implication and enthusiasm of the artists I have the pleasure of working with. Although I have been sharing a studio with these artists for years, working on this project has allowed me to witness firsthand their creative process. I gained insight into how they perceive and make visual decisions.

Inking our plate

It may rain on Saturday but this continues to be a bright experience for me. As we arrange final details such as packing and transporting Icarus to his destination, I have the distinct feeling I am preparing for a trip. I will pack Icarus’s suitcase, like I used to pack my son’s when he was a baby: inking roller, masking tape, scissors, latex gloves, rags and talcum powder to wipe off ink stains. Thank God I don’t need to haul diapers! Although with the weather forecast being what it is, I may take some Tylenol in case Icarus catches a cold.

Talleen Hacikyan

N.B. Due to rain, the Steamroller Printing Event has been Postponed to May

TGIF for Icarus at Atelier Circulaire

TGIF

Traditionally Fridays have always been animated at Atelier Circulaire. The studio comes alive as artists work, socialize and congregate around presses and the kitchen table. The phone rings off the hook and visitors flow in and out the door. The atmosphere is nothing short of electric.

Deborah inking my linoleum plate

Last Friday was no exception. Deborah, Michel, Noémie and I worked on our Icarus print, a collaborative project involving six artists.

Michel’s plate on the Potter Proof Press

Michel and I made test proofs of our linoleum plates. Deborah adjusted the pressure of her 1910 Potter Proof Press, designed to proof handset type for corrections before the final printing of a newspaper. It was a treat to have Deborah ink my plate and print it on this handsome machine. I was relieved to discover that I’ll be able to work with the bubbly texture that resulted from leaving my plate in the oven too long (see previous blog, Icarus Flew In My Oven).

Michel’s first proof

Michel carved a plate with a section of the sun, and another with a fragment of thigh and buttock. True to his experimental nature, for the sun he created a radiating array dots with a drill, playing with different bits. On his other plate Michel juxtaposed the body with a linear geometric treatment.

Our printing was followed by a carving session. I worked with Deborah, sharing her sophisticated tools, which she gets sharpened professionally at l’Aiguiserie on Papineau. At ease with her tools, carving fluidly, Deborah lets her imagination flow freely. I witnessed the fine balance between preplanned composition and improvised textural development on her plate.

After Deborah and I treated ourselves to a delectable Chinese lunch at Luck Hop Foo on St. Laurent, we got back to work at our table, where Noémie joined us. She has the second half of Michel’s sun and used the electric drill to continue Michel’s dots on her plate.

Noémie

Noémie didn’t need a power tool for speed. When she switched to hand tools, her image progressed rapidly, revealing her uniquely graphic style. As Deborah, Noémie and I carved our plates side by side, it felt like we were participating in a quilting bee. Our easy, jovial chit-chat was punctuated by spells of concentrated silence, as each of us embellished pieces of what will become one image.

Collective carving session

It is a privilege working with the other artists in my group. I threw myself into this project without much premeditated thought. I was drawn to the idea of having a big piece printed under a steamroller, in front of a live audience. I didn’t realize that the process of getting to that point would be so rich and rewarding.

Talleen Hacikyan

Icarus Flew in My Oven

For Concordia’s Steamrolling Print Event, on April 23, I am engraving two linoleum plates that will become part of a collective print, inspired by the Greek myth, The Fall of Icarus. To create our hero, I lay down on a large piece of paper, my co-artists traced my silhouette, we refined the sketch freehand, which we transferred to an ensemble of twelve linoleum plates, and randomly distributed them amongst the six artists working on the project. (See previous blog A Steamroller, Facebook and The Fall of Icarus.)

Sketch

A writer, on commenting about working autobiography into fiction, told me, “Once the personal experience blends into a story, it becomes something else.” I am reminded of this phenomenon as I work on this project. The figure on our plates is no longer me; it is Icarus, imprisoned in the palace of Crete with his father Daedalus; Icarus flying giddy with his new-found freedom, thanks to the wings of feathers and wax, crafted by Daedalus; it is Icarus, forgetting his father’s warning not to fly too close to the sun; it is Icarus plunging fatally to the sea. Perhaps because I have a teenage son, Icarus feels real. I can relate to his desire for independence, his forgetfulness while pursuing his thrilling adventure, and his vulnerability.

Carving my plate at Atelier Circulaire

I am working on one plate that has a section of an arm, and another with part of a leg. I opted for a playful approach to my subject. I tattooed Icarus, with motifs, that have a marine feel to them. I imagine Icarus and his father imprisoned in a palace tower with a little window with a view of the sea. Seabirds would fly to the window ledge and Daedalus would pluck and collect feathers, some of which would be fashioned into wings, some of which would be used as quills to tattoo his son!

My linoleum plate in progress

It has been an emotional ride working on Icarus’s arm, ranging from euphoria, to utter frustration. Everything was running smoothly. The pleasure of the flight took over me. I was heating my linoleum plate for a minute at a time in my oven to soften it and make it easier to engrave. I popped Icarus into the 200 degree oven for one last time. I was ecstatic–I had carved a mesmerizing mermaid on his arm. I got distracted, let him overheat, dashed to the kitchen in a fury, flung open the oven door, only to discover that my background had bubbled. I plunged into oblivion.

Inking my plate

As my art mimics Icarus’s fate, there are only two possible outcomes: success or disaster. The only way to find out is to do a test print and find out. Stay tuned to find out what happens to Icarus’s arms, legs, torso, head, lips, toes, psyche…

Talleen Hacikyan

A Steamroller, Facebook and The Fall of Icarus

On April 23, 2011, Concordia University is hosting the Steamroller Printing Event, at the corner of Mackay and St. Catherine, in Montreal. Artists are invited to bring a woodcut or linocut plate, measuring at least 1 meter by 1 meter. The Student Print Association supplies ink, paper, cleanup supplies and a 48 inch 5600 pound steamroller.

I posted the Steamroller Printing Event on my Facebook status:

“42 days left to engrave a large-enormous plate!! Anyone up to the challenge?”

Printmaker, René Donais, member of Atelier Circulaire, “liked” my status. He commented:

“Je pourrais m’essayer. Mon unique lino remonte à mes années à la polyvalente. Ce serait une excellente occasion de faire une 2e gravure en relief sur ce matériau.”

Forty-seven minutes later, René proposed that we form a group of Atelier Circulaire artists and collectively work on a large linoleum plate. This sounded practical and fun.

The following day at the studio, we discussed the idea. Since René is preparing his upcoming solo show, we agreed that I would organize the project. Over the next few days I recruited four more artists. Our Group of Six includes René Donais, Talleen Hacikyan, Michel Lancelot, Noémie Lesquins, Rolande Pelletier, and Deborah Wood.

The Fall of Icarus, Albrecht Dürer, woodcut,

The group met in Atelier Circulaire’s kitchen, around Deborah’s home-baked banana bread and a pot of green tea. Although each artist had their own vision of the project, there were common threads, and through discussion, and with the help of some sketches, our direction became clear. We decided to engrave a 3.5 x 6 foot piece of linoleum, inspired by The Fall of Icarus. We would cut our plate into twelve equal pieces. On the ensemble of these plates we would collectively draw a silhouette representing Icarus. Each artist would engrave on two randomly picked plates, which would then be reassembled and glued to a sheet of plywood.

Rolande, Talleen and Michel moving our roll of Marmoleum

Rolande and I walked through a vigorous March snowstorm to Million Tapis et Tuiles, on the corner of Bernard and St. Laurent. Following the advice of Concoria’s Student Print Association, we shopped for Marmoleum, a linoleum made with 100% natural ingredients: linseed oil, cork, limestone, tree rosin and natural minerals. We located a suitable roll of eco-friendly Marmoleum amidst a forest of linoleum rolls, stacked upright against the back wall, settled on a reasonable price that included tax and extra Marmoleum thrown in for free, and hauled it back to the studio by foot.

Michel cuts and codes the Marmoleum

Deborah inks the Marmoleum

The group worked efficiently over the next few days. Michel cut the Marmoleum into twelve equal pieces, Deborah rolled black ink onto them to make our engraving more visible. Two days later, when the plates had dried, Rollande, René, Michel and I drew Icarus.

Talleen A.K.A. Icarus

I lay down on a large sheet of paper and struck my best Icarus-falling-from-the-sky pose. After adjusting my arms and legs just so, the other artists outlined my body. We refined the drawing and transferred it onto the Marmoleum plates.

Rollande, René and Talleen

The final step was to draw names to see who would be engraving which plates. Paule Maingy, our etching coordinator, kindly undertook this all-important task.

Paule draws names

Now that the plates have been distributed amongst us, let the fun continue!

Talleen Hacikyan

Stay tuned to future blogs on our steamroller print project.

STEAMROLLER PRINTING EVENT

Saturday, April 23 · 8:30am – 8:00pm

Concordia University, EV building
Corner of Mackay/St. Catherine
Montreal, QC

Alexia Makes a Styrofoam Print

Last Friday, my seven-year old niece, Alexia, had a Ped Day. What better way to spend it than experiencing Auntie Talleen’s printmaking pedagogy? I gave Alexia an extended, private version of the printmaking workshop I do in schools with the program Les Artistes à l’École. For the past 18 years I have been participating in this stimulating program that takes me to elementary and high schools across Quebec to give printmaking workshops. Alexia got a personalized workshop in the comfort of my basement, where our ping pong table regularly doubles as an art table.

Rolling ink

I started out by showing Alexia some of my woodcuts–early prints of underwater scenes. I showed her a carved wood plate and explained the principle of relief printing. Then I demonstrated how to print a linocut by hand, using the same printing method that she would soon be using herself.

Printing with a spoon

I let Alexia choose a theme from the packages of subjects I have developed for students over the years–insects, fish, medieval times, Chinese art, Inuit art, etc. She chose the African mask, one of my favorite subjects to work with during my workshops. We looked at photos of African masks, talked about their symbolism, and what type of ceremonies they are used for. I also showed her some real masks I have at home, including an elaborate metal piece I bought in Bolivia and a mask I made out of papier mâché.

At this point, after pumping up her curiosity, something I learned to do when I studied art education, she was more than ready to try her hand at relief printing.

Lifting the printed image

Alexia carved into Styrofoam plates, using a pencil. This simple and direct technique gives wonderful results. After carving, Alexia inked her plate with a rubber brayer and printed with a spoon. She printed several images, on different colors of paper. She was so thrilled with the magic of the printing process that she made a second print. This time she created a butterfly and gave it the ingenious title, The Budifly.

The Tiki Mask

The Budifly

I love transmitting my knowledge and passion for art. Working with Alexia has the added bonus that I get to spend quality time with her and share her world for a few hours. She tells me stories of her experiences at school, with friends and family and she knows how to make me laugh, and put an expression on my face that rivals the the most comical of African masks!

Talleen Hacikyan

Paper Dresses

In the beginning there was….recycled newspaper!

I’m working on a series of papier mâché dresses to complement my series of large format collagraph dresses. I’ve always loved the papier mâché process, from ripping newspapers into strips, to mixing wallpaper paste, to layering my work in progress with wet and dry pieces of paper. There is something soothing, almost meditative, that is intrinsic to the technique. As a printmaker, I have an affinity for paper, in all its forms and expressions.

Working at Atelier Circulaire

Women wear dresses to work, to dance, to marry, to mourn, to seduce, to celebrate.
I use the dress in my work as a means of revealing facets of womanhood. I am interested in the interaction between the inner and outer selves. My dresses embody aspects of essential being that women consciously or unconsciously reveal to the outside world.

Work in progress

In Building Blocks the sculpted dress-body is covered with shredded strips of my personal journal and strips of Japanese paper printed with children’s blocks. The mumbo-jumbo of indecipherable messages creates a discrepancy between the genuine self and the presented self. Personal reflections become adornment. These pieces explore the act of “dressing up” inner thoughts and desires.

Building Blocks, paper, wire, shredded diary, handprinted Japanese paper,
80 x 37 cm, 2010

I am presently completing several dress sculptures. This playful yet demanding act is accompanied by another activity that requires its own set of skills–finding a home for my work in a gallery. With each new application in the mail, I have the impression that you, the rest of my dear public and I are getting a step closer to seeing this ensemble of work in a majestic space with prisitne white walls, a beautifully varnished hardwood floor, a shower of natural light and a visionary gallery director who will promote my work!

Talleen Hacikyan

Photo of me at work: Nicole Milette
Photo of Building Blocks: Daniel Roussel

The Magic of Monotyping

On January 29, I gave an intensive one-day monotype workshop at Atelier Circulaire, the ultimate printshop. Not only is this a great studio to work in but it is a super space to offer a workshop in. Students enjoy working in a professional studio, alongside practicing artists, in a creative, as opposed to academic, atmosphere. I enjoy teaching here not only for the top-notch installations but also because it feels like a second home. This gives me the impression that I am receiving people at my place and contributes to a warm atmosphere in my workshops.

Josée Dubrule

I had eight students, from various walks of life, including an accountant, two teachers, a translator, and a couple of artists. Some people had made monotypes several years ago and wanted to reacquaint themselves with the technique, while picking up a few new tricks. For others, this was their introduction to printmaking. Regardless of level, everyone worked through the various exercises with enthusiasm and an open mind, eager to go with the flow and discover what their plates would reveal.

Carole Sirois

Brigitte Chabert Hacikyan

We started with black and white prints, continued with the addition of one color, after which students moved onto larger multi-colored work.

Mary Milne

Rose Wall

In the afternoon I introduced the encollage method, where one can collage a piece of paper onto the printing paper with the inked plate, through the press. I had a selection of printed Japanese papers that students could incorporate into their monotypes.

Students had also brought other paper elements for encollage, such as children’s drawings, marbled paper, and photocopies.

Susanna Oreskovic

I also demonstrated of how to make a trace print by hand, with water based inks, a non toxic technique that students can explore at home.

José Corral

Claire Côté

Students spent the last hour free to experiment and combine all the above mentioned techniques. Before placing prints to dry between boards, we looked at everyone’s monotypes and exchanged impressions.

Since the two monotype workshops I gave in January, two students are applying for Atelier Circulaire’s forfait découvert (a three month membership offered at a reduced rate), and several others are coming on “taille douce” Fridays. On these days, artists can make arrangements to work and print at the studio, on their own, under the supervision of printer, Paule Mainguy. When I see former students pursuing techniques that they learn from me, I have proof of mission accomplished.

Talleen Hacikyan

A Saturday of Monotype

On Saturday January 22, I gave a one-day intensive monotype workshop to eight students at Atelier Circulaire. The group included two teachers, two graphic designers, a framer, and three artists. Five of them were in my collagraph class in November, the two artists from Atelier Circulaire had already taken workshops with me, and in the case of one teacher, I had recently given a monotype workshop to her high school art students. The atmosphere was friendly and stimulating.

Dannie Cormier

Béatrice Sokoloff

I usually give my workshops alone. This time I worked with an assistant professor, Lisette Yoselevitz. Lizette graduated last year from UQAM’s Fine Arts department and is a member of Atelier Circulaire. She has given several art classes in Mexico and is presently offering piñata and alebrije workshops in Montreal. It was a true pleasure and luxury to work with her. Lisette is efficient, motivated, supportive to students, and full of positive energy, a perfect complement to my teaching.

Lisette and Anne-Marie

The pace of the workshop was steady. I offered a flow of information at regular intervals to allow students to integrate different approaches to the traditional monotype. It is a challenge to decide how much to cover in one day. On the one hand I want students to experience a range of possibilities and on the other I want them to feel relaxed as they experiment the various techniques. The advantage of working in a group is that students benefit from each other’s results. It is always exciting when they share their newly acquired skills.

Danielle Lemieux

Anne-Marie Gervais

After a morning of rolling, wiping, smearing, painting, stamping, and Q-tipping ink on styrene plates and printing them onto paper through the printing press, students were ready for a well-deserved lunch break. In typical Atelier Circulaire manner, we chatted, ate and drank around the black slate kitchen table. As if by magic, items for sharing appeared before us: an assortment of heavenly teas, a bowl of cookies, blueberries and a bottle of wine.

Rachel Thompson

Thomas Gingreau

Christian Campana

Nicole Milette

In the afternoon I showed the class how to combine the monotype with the encollage of drawings, digital and printed images and Japanese papers. I was pleased to see a full range of pieces, each distinct in style. This was followed by an exhibition of the day’s work accompanied by a friendly round of feedback.

Before saying our goodbyes, I demonstrated how to hand print a trace monotype with water based inks, a non-toxic technique that can easily be done at home.

Because monotype is a direct, spontaneous and relatively rapid printmaking technique, it is suitable for a one-day workshop. However, because it is so open to experimentation, and because it produces such a rich range of effects, it also deserves to be further explored and developed through time. At Atelier Circulaire, students have the possibility of working in the studio on Fridays. This can be arranged by appointment, for a fee of twenty-five dollars. My greatest joy is seeing former students perfecting techniques that I have taught them.

Talleen Hacikyan