Looking Out of My Parka in the High Arctic VE 5/10 - Alumigraph
Looking Out of My Parka in the High Arctic VE 5/10 - Alumigraph
About the Work:
When I went to Ulukhahtok in the High Arctic, the only directive I received was to bring a parka. The inspiration for this piece was this parka.
The parka confines and protects. It limited my vision, constricted my movements and muffled sounds, yet it was mandatory survival gear. I experienced -59 Celsius temperatures, high winds, snow fog, fear of frostbite, and fear of wolves and polar bears. My senses were both heightened and dulled; the dangers were real while my physical response was altered.
As an outsider to this environment, I had a keen awareness of my parka experience. I was small in a big space, vulnerable in the face of danger, seeing the world as white on white with no familiar reference points.
This alumigraph is an innovative printmaking technique, transferred on a piece of 100% rag Somerset printmaking paper 22x30in. The image bleeds off all four deckled edges of the paper. Each image in this Varied Edition is unique while using the same matrix.
It will be shipped in a tube to your address unless you live in Winnipeg and it can be hand-delivered or picked up.
Follow my art adventure on Instagram @cornelius.karen
Karen Cornelius holds the Copyright on all her artwork. No image may be reproduced for any reason without the consent of the artist.
Adding an aluminum surface to the collagraph to create the alumigraph plate
How It Was Made:
The alumigraph is a collagraphic process, where the plate is built upon a strong support surface rather than etched into the metal. Textured material such as sandpaper and lace can be incorporated into the image.
Once an image is created, heavy-duty aluminum foil is adhered to the surface using acrylic gel medium. The plate is then inked intaglio, which means that the ink is rubbed into the lines and texture of the plate and removed from the surface of the plate.
The colour layers were achieved in numerous ways using reduction relief, mono printing and the chine- colle techniques. For chine-colle pre-pasted Japanese paper is placed on the plate while the damp support paper is laid on top and the plate and paper are run through a hand-operated traditional etching press that transfers the image from the plate to the paper.
