Cities and Signs

I'm calling this one Continuous Cities. Four-colour screenprint, 2011.

The image size is about 10 by 13", the paper size is 15 by 22". The title is, of course, yet another reference to Italo Calvino's Invisible Cities. (My fave!) I am pretty damn happy with how it turned out. I think it helped that I gave myself plenty of time to think about the colours I used - colour is not my strong suit, so I wanted to take some care and try to follow through with exactly the feel I wanted for the piece.



I nicked some paint sample cards from the hardware store to give me an idea of the colour scheme I wanted. In case anyone is curious, what we have here is Mellow Bouquet, Raven's Rage and Faded Jeans.


Then I worked up some samples using the screenprinting inks, which can be a bit tricky to work with. Producing some small amounts gave me an idea of the colours and ratios I needed to use, before I produced the larger amounts I'd need to print with - otherwise I might bugger it up and waste a lot of ink. Colour-mixing is not a strength of mine; I tend to get impatient, add too much of a colour and end up with some unpleasant vomity brown. Or pink. I hate pink, I always accidentally end up with pink.


Here is the print with the three block colours all done, missing only the final key colour with the line work. I actually rather liked it just like this. If I had more of the Arches 88 printmaking paper I was working on, I may have left a couple unfinished like this. Instead I took a picture.

The registration was a little tricky, but I'd given myself some minute leeway with the lines and block colours where they overlapped, so working from light colours to dark it all lined up pretty well.


Another one with just the dark red, grey and gold-yellow. A little dark.

Oh, so I didn't include a key colour- for the lines and details of the buildings - in my original colour scheme. I was going to be lazy and just use black, but that wouldn't have worked. Instead I used a dark grey which used the blue grey above as a base. I kept it pretty warm so it would go with the red/grey/gold.


And here is the final product again. I think it looks a little better in real life, since this scan turned out a bit drab. The colours really pop, which I feel like is a nice property of screenprints.

So Long, Frank Lloyd Wright

A few photos of Gordon House, which is just outside Silver Falls, Oregon. (Is it Silver Falls, or Silver something else? This was a few weeks ago now, it's difficult for me to remember.) Designed by Frank Lloyd Wright, it's one of his 'Usonian' houses, (as in US-onian, all-American) which are supposed to be affordable, versatile houses for middle-class everypeople. (Of course, Gordon House turned out to be massively expensive.) This is the only Frank Lloyd Wright-designed house in Oregon, so I really wanted to see it; my delightful gf was kind enough to drive us there.

I thought it was very interesting to look around; lots of thoughtful details and eccentric touches. Some of Wright's ideas didn't turn out to be that practical. Overall I really liked it, though. Looks delightfully retro futuristic, and pleasing to behold from every angle.






Above: the detailing in the woodwork, a recurring pattern. The slanted angles are 15 degrees, so that same 15 degree angle turns up all over the house. (For example, the edges of the in-built shelves and tables.) I liked those little unifying details.



Some warning tape under that one balcony - apparently someone put the cantilever beams in sideways? Which seems almost to ridiculous to be true, but anyway you are not allowed to walk on it or under it.



Guest bedroom.


So the lines of the beams continue across here, in an effort to create continuity between interior and exterior.



Woodpeckers have been at the panelling.



The main hall, which is laid out on square units of 7 by 7 feet. The hearth is very important in Wright's domestic interiors, as it is also in Arts and Crafts designs.




The laundry chute! Just perfect for sending your young siblings down in a youthful prank.



Gordon House was neato. I had fun. Maybe too much fun. Now I really want to go on more weekend excursions for the purposes of architectural tourism. I am a giant nerd.