Falling to infinity – abstract monotype print

Description

Falling to Infinity is a bright and colourful abstract monotype print. It is made by gel printing with acrylic paints on paper. The title has no particular inspiration beyond the overall look and feel of the image. I am a great reader of Science Fiction and many of these prints remind me of the covers of Penguin Science Fiction paperbacks in the 1960s.

The print was made by gel printing with acrylic paints on paper and is about 30 cm square. It has numerous layers with a strong visual and physical texture. It is mounted on a cradled wooden panel with edges painted black and ready to hang on your wall.

During lockdown, I have made a large series of similar colourful abstract monotype prints. They represent a new direction for my work, one I intend to continue to explore for a good while yet.

What is a gel print?

Monotype prints in general are made by drawing or painting on a smooth, non-absorbent surface. This surface, sometimes called the matrix, was historically a copper etching plate. In contemporary work other materials are often used, such as acrylic sheet. The image on the matrix is then transferred onto a sheet of paper by pressing the two together. This usually requires a print press. Monotypes can also be created by inking an entire surface and then, using brushes or rags, removing ink to create light areas in a field of opaque colour.

The specific process I used for this print was gel printing (or Gelli but this is a trademark). The matrix in this case is a soft synthetic gel. I apply the paint to the gel sheet with rollers or brushes, often using stencils or masks to limit the area to which the paint is applied. The rolled out paints can also be drawn into or otherwise textured in various ways. This process is repeated until I’m happy with the image. Some of my prints made this way have over 20 separate full or partial layers, which results in subtle variations in colour and a tangible physical texture. The nature of the process allows for intense bright colours and this colourful abstract monotype print is no exception.