Marco Pho Grassi 4 Monotypes “Berlin Series”

Marco Pho Grassi released this video teaser and detail pictures of a series of Monotype prints titled “Berlin Series”. The prints will be available through Circleculture Gallery in Berlin. A master of texture and paint Marco takes us back to a traditional printmaking process. Utilizing oils and and paper Marco creates atmosphere and emotion with a brilliant texture and muted palette. It is always a pleasure to see Marco work in the traditions of painting, yet bring his own ideology to the work. We hope you enjoy these images and the short teaser video shot by none other than Jaybo Monk.

GF

“4 MONOTYPES FROM THE BERLIN SERIES oil on 100 % cotton paper 70 x 100 cm. 2012 Circleculture Gallery Berlin – Monotyping is a type of printmaking made by drawing or painting on a smooth, non-absorbent surface. The surface, or matrix, was historically a copper etching plate, but in contemporary work it can vary from zinc or glass to acrylic glass. The image is then transferred onto a sheet of paper by pressing the two together, usually using a printing-press. Monotypes can also be created by inking an entire surface and then, using brushes or rags, removing ink to create a subtractive image, e.g. creating lights from a field of opaque colour. The inks used may be oil based or water based. With oil based inks, the paper may be dry, in which case the image has more contrast, or the paper may be damp, in which case the image has a 10 percent greater range of tones. Monotyping produces a unique print, or monotype; most of the ink is removed during the initial pressing. Although subsequent reprintings are sometimes possible, they differ greatly from the first print and are generally considered inferior. These prints from the original plate are called “ghost prints.” Prints made by pressing the prints onto another surface, effectively making the print into a plate, is called a “cognate”. Stencils, watercolor, solvents, brushes, and other tools are often used to embellish a monotype print. Monotypes can be spontaneously executed and with no previous sketch.”