Sea Kente

Linda Lieberman

Linda Lieberman made this piece using a soap resist, also known as soap-ground or white-ground, painted a la poupee onto a plate that had already been prepared with aquatint and etching. The semi-permeable nature of the soap allows for the very gradual penetration of the acid into the plate, which gives the artist more control over tonality, producing a watercolor effect.

Lieberman's original intent for this imagery was a single view of the sea on a large plate. Dissatisfied with the final proof, she decided to try something new. She cut the plate into nine smaller plates measuring around 3-1/2 x 3-1/2" each. These she arranged in rows of opposing vertical and horizontal patterning to form a woven texture, a la Ghanaian kente cloth.