Fluxus Artist Alison Knowles came to Zea Mays Printmaking in 2014 with her daughter Jessica Higgins to execute a series of prints.
For “Nori Hermit” she and Jessica began by composing on the bed of a photocopy machine with bits of sheet music, random letters, soles of shoes. Once they were happy with the composition, we created a photopolymer intaglio plate from the photocopy. As a piece of performance art, Jessica made a gesture drawing on each piece of Kitakata paper prior to printing the photopolymer intaglio plate. We printed the polymer plate on top of the acrylic ink drawing.
Alison retuned later that year to complete the print “The Boat Book” a tribute to her brother, Alison again arranged a group of photographs, objects and text into a composition we made into a photopolymer intaglio plate. Prior to printing, we filled a tray with liquid acrylic ink and Alison stepped into the ink with her bare feet and then walked across the blank Kitakata paper, leaving blue footprints. We printed the photopolymer plate on top of the “foot printed” paper.
Alison Knowles and Jessica Higgins
“Nori Hermit”, 2014
Image size: 18-3/4” x 12-3/4”
Support: 20-1/4” x 16-1/2” paper Kitakata natural
Edition: 15 + 2 AP + 1 PP
Printer(s): Liz Chalfin
Alison Knowles
“The Boat Book,” 2014
Image size: 19” x 13”
Support: 20-1/4” x 16-1/2” paper Kitakata natural
Edition: 10 v.e. + 2 PP
Printer(s): Liz Chalfin