John Haworth at digital surface

CASE STUDY

Context

Brief outline of the artist’s practice

My current work draws on my practice led research into creativity and embodied mind in digital fine art printmaking www.creativity-embodiedmind.com and my research into subjective experience and quality of life www.wellbeing-esrc.com Printmaking has long been my chosen medium because of the potential it offers for the exciting exploration of delicate surface properties. The digital print medium has a fine surface quality and potential to incorporate and transmute imagery. This I find particularly attractive as a conduit for the idea of the vibrant transience of reality, considering it to be a core aspect of my prints. In part, ‘the medium is the message’. I have an extensive range of work, which includes figurative, landscape and abstract, examples of which are shown in the gallery at www.creativity-embodiedmind.com Many of the prints also have their origins in transitions in daily life and nature, which can be readily investigated using the digital medium. An innovative example is the use of the mobile phone-camera, with an experience sampling method, to investigate slices of time and subjective experience, used in making the prints: ‘The Way We are Now’ and ‘A day in the life of,’ shown in the gallery and discussed in a paper at www.creativity-embodiedmind.com My work is also influenced by the multiple nature of prints with the potential of wider availability (www.commecaart.com).

Brief explanation of working process

My creative practice making digital fine art prints uses a wide range of materials, computer software, and printers from small to large format. Prints often begin with a photograph or series of photographs which, in some cases, are worked on extensively with computer image manipulation software. This process of exploration generates and reveals possibilities and visual experiences, as well as speaking to initial expectations. The process of exploration becomes a vehicle for seeing which is influenced by the technology. Visual explorations undertaken with the computer can influence what one ‘sees’ in the world, what comes into focus and what demands attention, influencing what is recorded experientially, mentally, and digitally. In turn, this influences further explorations with the computer. Artistic vision is constantly reshaping itself in interaction with the world, including technology, geographical place, culture and events.
In making prints I keep a log of both the technical and thought processes involved. An account of the creative process in relation to some of the prints is given on the CD ‘Creativity, Embodied Mind and Well-Being: innovative practice led research in digital fine art’.

Relationship of digital technology to other processes/technologies, and the importance of the surface

I have been a printmaker using traditional methods for many years. This has a significant influence on my appreciation of the surface properties of prints and the composition and structure of prints evolving through the serial process. It greatly influences my approach to digital printmaking which has a greater potential for freedom of exploration but which is also influenced by constraints, both technological and conceptual, as is any print medium. (For further discussion of freedom and constraint in the creative process see CD ‘Creativity, Technology and Embodied Mind: proceedings of a workshop on freedom and constraint in the creative process in digital fine art’ ISBN 1-905476-04-3)

Specific issues to the new piece of work

At what point in the development of the work is the size of the image fixed?

The size of the image is a variable option throughout the life of the print as it evolves and as the surface is explored, even though this may often be a background consideration. The process may result in a series of prints at different sizes.

At what point is the actual surface considered?

All the time, even though this may often be subconsciously, as one is exposed to the surface while overtly considering other aspects, such as structure and meaning which in turn may be evolving.

Size and surface are also intimately connected with the factors which determine the choice or creation of the surface in this new work titled ‘Morning Mooring’.
The print started as a photograph of a boat at a mooring in the changing morning light. It was taken with a 2 mega-pixel mobile-phone-camera. A lower resolution image presents perceptual opportunities to experiment with the surface and image with semi-abstract marks akin to traditional printmaking, though at a larger scale the image pixelates, however, this in turn may offer more abstract opportunities. The tension being explored is between the particular and the more universal. The digital photo was increased to the maximum width of 58 cm for my studio printer, and minimally processed with Adobe Photo Shop looking at the structure, and scrolling over the surface on screen at print size at each stage of the process, then printing the image (Koloura Light.jpg).

The structure of the boat, reflections and light appealed and the print was cropped and minimally processed several times, and printed at 58cm x 81 cm (K5.jpg) called ‘Boat in Harbour’.

Returning to K3 a series of exploratory changes was made to the size and surface of the print. The image K9.jpg 58cm x 66cm, called ‘Boat mooring’ was framed, for inspection.

The print was cropped to landscape format making the structural parts of the print more prominent with the fine details more visible. After viewing, the print was posterised sharpening the edges overall. Several other changes were made, saving the various stages. The print called ‘Mooring’ was viewed in the 74cm x 100cm wooden frame. (Mooring 1jpg Mooring detail jpg).

Later, white areas on the print were changed through several colours ending with bright yellow, (mooring 7). Viewing the mooring prints, and having worked with other prints on ‘slices of time’ it seemed that 3 prints could be put together and worked on as a change over time with first light arising on the mooring followed by pink sun tinged light followed by the bright sun. Changes were also made to parts of the print which had begun to look like fish, with the bright yellow appearing as a figure head. Morning Mooring.jpg.
Working digitally contrasts with traditional printmaking in that the digital mode is more flexible and less linear than the traditional method.