Body Print Process

What is behind my printmaking process?

Creating each printmaking plate is about so much more than just making marks with my body. To create this printmaking plate, I prepared the Lino and applied my mark-making medium to my body. Then, I sat for a while, taking the time to centre myself in meditation. My mark-making is about the energy I place onto the plate as much as the action.

Meditation has long been a daily practice, and my intention is to bring this energy into my work. Once the plate and my body are prepared for the practicality of the printmaking process, I use a breathing technique to centre myself and then position myself on the plate. I lay on this plate for 20 minutes, absorbed in the moment and the cool sensation of the Lithino.

After the meditation with the plate, I return to my original sitting position and again take a moment to centre myself in that moment, knowing the process is complete. There seems to be a ritualistic meaning or intention in this way of creating the plate; I’m not sure why it has come about this way, but I’m sure I will understand this with time.

The plate is then covered with a layer of gum Arabic to etch for a couple of weeks. The finished print can be seen in my gallery.