Artist Reaserch: April Vollmer

     April Vollmer is a New York artist. She studies the mokuhanga technique and Japanese woodcut printmaking after receiving her Master of fine Arts in printmaking. I found her works in the book "Japanese Woodblock Print Workshop", published in 2015, which is devoted to her work and the translation of woodcut printmaking techniques.

     In the collection of her works, the first one that caught my attention was "Migrating Gyre". What is impressive about this artwork is the fact that she used a different angle and intensity of black paint, the work went deeper and gained additional texture. The work done in black mono colours adds mystery to the work and does not make it feel overwhelming. Minimalism with a such unique effect. 

A. Vollmer, "Migrting Gyre", Japanese Woodblock Print Workshop, 2015, p.13

Vollmer A., Blackout, 2013. Mokuhanga on Gozen washi. Sheet: 38 x 26 in.

    Regarding the "Blackout" 2013 the artist also used a method called Mokuhanga for this work. This method was developed in Japan for printing images. Thanks to it, artists can work with environmentally friendly water-based inks. Images are created on many blocks and manually transferred using a flat paddle - called a baren. Each color is applied in layers, onto separate blocks. This process requires many blocks, but at the same time simplifies the creation process, making it possible for anyone to do it, even at home. 

The use of different shades and pressure when creating the background gives the work a noticeable depth.

It looks like the background was made first and the central part was entirely printed using black ink. I like how A. Vollmer combines elements of nature in her works. I would like to focus on these elements in my project. That's why I chose this artist as my inspiration for the project. 

Reference List:

Vollmer, A. (2015) Japanese woodblock print workshop: A modern guide to an ancient art. Berkeley: Watson-Guptill Publications. 

Lindner, J. (2023) Must-know gift industry statistics [latest report] • Gitnux, GITNUX. Available at: https://gitnux.org/gift-industry-statistics/#:~:text=Highlights%3A%20Gift%20Industry%20Statistics,about%2010%20billion%20U.S.%20dollars. (Accessed: 06 April 2024).