The Southwest by Gordon Louis Mortensen

The Southwest by Gordon Louis Mortensen

The Southwest

Gordon Louis Mortensen

Title

The Southwest

 
Artist
Year
1977  
Technique
color reduction woodcut using 29 colors, with 22 press passes 
Image Size
22 x 30" image size 
Signature
pencil, lower right 
Edition Size
56 of 125  
Annotations
pencil dated, titled, and editioned 
Reference
 
Paper
cream Torinoko paper 
State
published 
Publisher
artist 
Inventory ID
19293 
Price
SOLD
Description

An early color reduction woodcut from when Gordon Mortensen had recently begun working in the medium (soon to become his preference). Raised in North Dakota, many of his images from this time focused on the subtle earthen colors of the upper Midwest and into the dry Southwest. His mastery of tone, achieved within the boundaries of a somewhat ungainly and technical art form, are unparalelled.

Gordon Mortensen has written on the process he uses: "Only one woodblock is used. On it an image is drawn in India ink. Before the first color is printed, any areas that are to remain unprinted (white or the color of the paper) are cut away from the surface of the block. Then an oil base ink is used to print the first color on all of the sheets of paper that are to be used for the edition and proofs.

After the first printing the block is again cut, removing any surface of the block that is to remain the first color in the finished print. After each subsequent color is printed, the block is cut, the process continues until the print is finished and most of the surface of the block is cut away."

In the printing for "The Southwest" Mortensen used 29 colors in 22 press runs.