I am definitely not a printmaker, but I seem to have worked in printmaking quite a lot. I have been lucky enough to work with a number of experts: Artist Proof Studio, and Warren Editions, printed several of my linocuts, while others who have provided expertise and collaborative opportunities, such as Stephen Inggs from The Print Kitchen, and Georgina Berens with whom I have worked at both South Atlantic Press and Loft Editions. I have also worked on a series of silkscreens with Black River Studio in Cape Town.

The same but different, 1999, linocut, 182 x 94cm

My first foray into printmaking came at the suggestion of artist and mentor Clive van den Berg for a group show entitled ‘Images of Self’. I had little idea of what I was doing and just began carving a meandering line in the centre of the format, following it as it travelled up- and downwards, approaching straight as it proceeded. This work was selected for MoMA’s ‘Impressions from South Africa, 1965 to Now’ and is now in their collection. The edition was printed by Artist Proof Studio in Johannesburg.

Solid, 2010, linocut, 110 x 150cm

My second large linocut was also printed by Artist Proof Studio in Jo’burg. It comprised two blocks, one printed twice in different orientations and a second where they overlapped. This area is darker than you’d expect from just the overlapping of the two circular forms, perhaps suggesting that the overlap is more than a sum of its parts. This was first shown on ‘Tone’.

Fan, 2007, linocut, 150 x 110cm

The composition was created by repeated iterations of a single straight line whose successive position and orientation was determined by a simple set of rules. Such rigid rules and a straight line gave rise to an image which was quickly complex and surprisingly organic. I showed this first in my exhibition ‘Array’. Once again, Artist Proof Studio printed.

Contour, 2009, linocut, 180 x 92cm

This large lino comprises an array of lines each held in an orientation determined by a set of simple rules. This results in a unique arrangement in which changing the orientation of one line would have a cascading effect across the whole composition. I had been exploring shoaling and flocking behaviour in animals, where the position and motion of individual members is determined by a few simple rules relating to their immediate neighbours. This too was printed by Artist Proof Studio.

Shade 2, 2013, linocut, 191 x 110cm

Shade 1, 2013, linocut, 191 x 110cm

This series of two large linocuts was based on my observation of tree shadows cast on a road’s surface. I had noted that despite our sense of shadows as simple two-dimensional silhouettes, on scrutiny they revealed a remarkable amount of information about their source. (I had been very taken with David Abram’s essay on shadow, reviewed here.)  I was aware too of the metaphorical freight of shadows, especially during this time in my life when my father was dying, something which saturated my show ‘Season’ where I first showed this pair. These works are two of several in which I explore the notion and techniques of registration. Printed by Artist Proof Studio.

Braid 1, 2016, silkscreen 70 x 70cm

Braid 2, 2016, silkscreen 70 x 70cm

Braid 3, 2016, silkscreen 70 x 70cm

This series of three silkscreens was made using a simple circular arrangement of crescent- and s-shaped motifs re-registered and printed around 30 times, using a two colour split fountain process. The works reflect my ongoing concerns with iteration and registration, and was the start of a body of work which was rich in visual and tactile qualities, and which made reference as much to natural phenomena as to human-made artefacts. Printed with the inimitable Wim Le Grand at Black River Studio.

Wayfinder, 2021, woodcut, 70 x 60cm

This woodcut was produced with Georgina Berens at the South Atlantic Press. The work begins with a Lego sculpture I made in 2015. The interaction of simple waveforms, or zig-zags, results in a complex topography. I was thinking then about Wade Davis’ famous Wayfinders book, in which he describes the ancient navigational techniques of Polynesian sailors, or ‘wayfinders’. They are able, through their sense of feel, touch and sight, and their knowledge of the stars, to assemble a highly detailed and accurate ‘map’ of their environment and to navigate huge distances this way. The work was made from three blocks, each carved and printed twice, building up tones with careful registration.

Structure 1, 2024, woodcut, 54 x 72cm

Structure 2, 2024, woodcut, 54 x 72cm

Structure 3, 2024, woodcut, 54 x 72cm

Structure 4, 2024, woodcut, 54 x 72cm

I once again worked with Georgina Berens and Loft Editions here. We started this project really quickly and I did little more than retrieve a drawing I’d made for a series of sculptures some years ago. The drawing was made on a sheet of isometrically-ruled graph paper, allowing me to play with the conventions of depicting three-dimensional objects on a two-dimensional surface. I carved such a grid from one block, and on another four I carved images which depict monolithic building-like objects at a variety of scales. We printed the latter four on top of the grid in contrasting colour and in a slightly misregistered position. The colours we mixed make reference to those we find on ruled paper.

Lattice 1, 2024, monotype, 82 x 41cm

Lattice 2, 2024, monotype, 82 x 41cm

When we were cleaning off the roller after printing the Structure series above, Georgina Berens snuck some good paper onto the tabletop while I wasn’t looking. These two monotypes are the result.