I’m really glad our group decided to go with woodblock instead of lead, because my preconception of how the printing process would go involved moving pieces around relatively easily. I enjoyed working with the woodblocks because it offered the right amount of artistic freedom with a good degree of restriction and limitation. The process was like putting together a puzzle / problem-solving on two levels: first, we had to use what we were given (the parts) to make something (the whole); second, once we decided on our parts, we had to make sure they fit together given the boundaries and capabilities of the galley and magnets. I appreciated how the process of putting together this puzzle was an iterative: if a piece didn’t work (as in, physically fit into wherever we wanted it to go), we had to put it back and rethink what we wanted to represent. Going back to the drawing board multiple times made getting to the cohesive design in the end all the more rewarding.
Using the printing press was very cool, and gave me a newfound appreciation for the invention. I’m probably going to look up the mechanics behind how the different gears and parts work together; I’d like to demystify (in a good way) this magical machine. I almost expected a “ding!” sound when the cylinder hit the end of the “track” (I’m pretty sure it’s not called that) and made a click. It was instantly gratifying to have such a quick feedback: you ink your pieces, feed paper into the clips, turn the handle, and out comes a print that you would see hanging on a wall or in a book. Going from blueprint to final product within the timespan of a class was a satisfying experience.
There are two things I’d like to recall from the workshop but can’t seem to remember:
- The brand name of the printing press (I think it was van something… I would love to find out more about the company’s history!)
- The name of the science of making the woodblocks the same level so that they get inked evenly (Prof. Rippeon mentioned this as he slid paper underneath our stag woodblock to elevate it to the right height)
