When I first started learning about the history of linocut printmaking, I was surprised to hear the influence that Pablo Picasso had on the movement. Did you know he invented reduction printmaking in linocut?
He's not someone I would've associated with the medium in my mind. After trawling eBay for a while, I managed to get my hands on a large hardback book about his linocuts and etches. In true Picasso style, the linocuts were wild - huge cuts on the block, clashing colours and bold experiments in the medium.
Picasso's journey through etching and lithography resulted in him creating 2000 prints in his lifetime. 150 of these approximately were linocuts. He created his first linocut on the eve of World War 2 in 1939 and he was continually inventive and pushed the boundaries of printmaking even in his early days of the medium, often challenging fellow printmakers.
It appealed to him apparently how easily the block could be carved and how quickly he could produce a print. I agree with this to some extent but linocut remains a very slow medium in my mind.
In linocut more than any other medium, he desired to create work in colour. Picasso was apparently so frustrated by the imperfections in registration in his first complex print that here that he swore never to try such a complex design again. It was six blocks - definitely an impressive achievement for a beginner, nonetheless. Thankfully, he continued to print with multiple colours.
In 1959, Picasso evolved a simpler and revolutionary method of creating linocuts by nailing a lino block to a plank of wood. He then printed the entire rectangular shape onto paper as his base colour layer and continued to print subsequent images by carving away and printing from this same block- thus reduction printmaking was born.
From what I've read about Picasso and linocut, he pushed the medium forward and brought new respect to it from other Artists. For that, we are grateful.
Here's an excellent short video by ArtFund showing the separate proofs of one of his most famous linocuts 'Still life under a lamp'.
For me, I look at this prints and I'm encouraged to create more freely. I've always struggled with wanting to keep too much control over my linocuts - every cut precise and every colour matching and blending perfectly. Picasso's style isn't about that - you can see the enjoyment he got from creating these prints - they are vibrant and full of life.
To say they look effortless would be an injustice - us printmakers know even the simplest designs have taken hundreds of hours practice to perfect and develop. I enjoy the way his registration doesn't line up precisely - they make the prints I think. His cuts seem to be made using a wide U-shaped tool - they are bold but precisely done. He doesn't seem to necessarily embrace the chattermarks in a lot of his prints - the first print below is actually very clean - there are solid blocks of colours on the face and the background is clean.
I've not been able to find out too much information about how he actually printed - whether by hand using a baren or with some form of printing press.
I'll leave you with another couple of my favourite linocuts that this master printmaker created...
