Fall by Gordon Louis Mortensen
Fall
Gordon Louis Mortensen
Title
Fall
Artist
Gordon Louis Mortensen
1938 - PRESENT (biography)Year
2002
Technique
color reduction woodcut printed in 40 colors with 38 press runs
Image Size
22 x 30" image
Signature
pencil, lower right
Edition Size
5 of 100
Annotations
titled, lower left; dated after the signature
Reference
Paper
white wove Arches
State
published
Publisher
artist
Inventory ID
GOMO308
Price
SOLD
Description
This vividly colored landscape captures the stunning light and vivid colors of autumn. Mortensen is a master of the reduction woodcut method carving numerous blocks and using a multiplicity of color to create a painterly scene that has amazing depth. Fall evokes the coolness of twilight when the lingering sunlight sets the foliage ablaze.
Gordon Mortensen commented 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."