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Yang Pengcheng: Exploring Water-Based Woodcut Prints

Words by Yang Pengcheng

2013年我考上陈琦老师的研究生。三年的学习期间我进行了有关水印木刻颜料、水、纸张、板材的物性研究。以一种严谨科学的实验与分析对水印版画的媒材做系统研究,使过去经验性的水印木刻技术生发成既可分析,又可量化的知识系统,通过材料的印痕比较完成了作品《水印木刻物性研究》手工书。不同的材质所呈现出的物质特性和可能性,会对艺术家的艺术表现提供一个很好的帮助和一个有利的依据,为做水印木刻的艺术家的创作提供一种参照。

In 2013, I became the postgraduate student of professor Chen Qi. During the three years of my study, I have researched the physical properties of woodblock prints and printmaking, such as colour, water, paper and woodblock. By a rigorous experiment with altitude and a scientific analysis, I systematically researched the media of woodblock print, so that the empirical technology of water-based woodcut that has its roots in the past can be developed into a knowledge system that can then be quantified and analysed. I turned all of the experimental results into a handmade book which I’ve named The Physical Property Research of Water-Based Woodcut. My work, which details the material properties and possibilities of various elements involved in the printmaking process, will provide significant assistance as well as guidance to other artists.

 

杨鹏程,Yang Pengcheng

The Physical Property Research of Water-Based Woodcut, Handmade Book, Variable Size, 2016

The Physical Property Research of Water-Based Woodcut–Pigment Water Quality Experiment (Local Details)

 

作品《布兰德的谜题》系列,我试图建构变色龙改变颜色的蜥蜴属性与镜子反射物像的镜子属性所构成的复合整体。变色龙本体用线条来表现它的结构与生物特性,在印制时通过水印木刻特有的语言突出线条间的虚实、疏密、干湿、深浅变化,这些关系使主体生动自然。变色龙镜像则用套版叠印而成,印版上刻制的凹凸方块就像01的编码序列,通过版与版之间的套印叠加形成一种像素化的变色龙形象,数字化的处理也是对主体的一种解构。这种抽象线性与数字魔幻的双重特点,一方面源于我对传统线刻的理解与喜爱,另一方面又深受当今数字影像技术的影响,是我对图像的实验性表达。

In the work’s Brand’s Riddles series, I was trying to construct a composite compound which consists of the ‘lizard property’ of chameleons’ color transformation ability and the ‘mirror property’ of mirrors’ object image reflection property. I used lines to show the structure and biological nature of the chameleon’s body. While printing, the unique language of woodblock print has highlighted the virtual, density, humidity and shallow changes between the lines, which make the chameleon look vivid and natural. The chameleon’s reflection in the mirror is created by overprint techniques. And the concave-convex square carved on the plate, which looks like the coding sequence of 0 and 1, forms the image of a pixel chameleon which is a deconstruction of the main body. This dual feature of abstract linearity and digital magic, on the one hand, stems from my understanding and love of traditional line engraving; on the other hand, it is also deeply influenced by today’s digital image technology, which I’ve experimented with as a method of personal expression while creating these images.

 

Brand’s Riddles No.2, Woodblock Print, 86cm×86cm, 2016 (1)

Brand’s Riddles No.3, Woodblock Print, 180cm×85cm, 2016 AND Brand’s Riddles No.4, Woodblock Print, 180cm×85cm, 2016

Brand’s Riddles No.5, Woodblock Print, 95cm×82cm, 2019

Brand’s Riddles No.6, Woodblock Print, 95cm×82cm, 2019 (1)

 

2017年博士入学以来,我更加关注水印版画的本体语言,它所特有的物性特征与本体质感是由宣纸、木板与水性颜料共构的。其中交织重叠的印痕混合着纸的帘纹与木质肌理、水渍、颜料颗粒融合沁出的独特本体质感也是一般绘画难以企及的。新创作的实验性作品所呈现的是我对于媒材的选择、对水印版画的媒材特性与本体语言之间的联系、人对于媒材的关系进行的思考。同时我在制版与印刷过程中注重不同媒材自身性能的充分发挥与拓展,希望创造出崭新的版画艺术表现语言。

Since my Ph.D. enrolment in 2017, I have concentrated more on the ontological language of woodblock print. Its unique physical characteristics and ontological texture are composed of Xuan Paper, wood board, and water-based pigments. Among them, the interwoven and overlapping imprints are mixed with paper curtain texture, water stain, and pigment granules that fuse and produce a unique ontological texture, which can hardly be achieved by any other general painting techniques. The new experimental works show my thinking about the choice of media, the relationship between the media characteristics of watermarking prints and the ontological language, and the relationship between media itself. At the same time, in the process of plate making and printing, I focused on the full expression of the media properties and expansion of the performance of different media. Through my work, I wish to create a brand new printmaking language for artistic expression.

 

Conservation No.4, Woodblock Print, Variable Size, 2019

15X, Woodblock Print, 45cm×150cm, 2019

 

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