Title: "Voices"
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ProcessI never used this technique before, I must say it was quit a challenge for me when printing the block onto paper. It took me a couple of classes to get the right one that I needed.
My first idea for this project was to create a tree on the first half of the page and the second part of the page the tree would reflect itself, just like looking into the mirror. But after thinking for a bit longer I decided to go with another thought of mine. The woman with the X on her face. |
Collecting pieces
For this project I got all my supplies that I needed in my class. Tools for carving, ink, brayer, baren and carved linoleum.
Block Print work
The first thing I did after I sketched out my work, I started to carve out my sketch onto the board. With a pencil I lightly sketched out my project on the board than afterwords I begin to carve out. I hadn't had any problems with carving my work out. I was actually really excited. It wasn't hard, you just had to be careful how thick of a line you want where and how deep. We also had to remember that whatever we carve out, on the printed paper it will be the opposite of our work. Just like looking into a mirror.
After it was all carved it was ready to be inked. This was the hardest part for me. Printing the perfect piece. It took me at least 15x before I got my perfect piece. You had to know exactly how much ink you needed. That was my mistake I kept using too little ink. I didn't want black ink to be in every spot that it should have been and the white staying white. No, I didn't want that. My goal was to achieve a messy, beat up look. And I did get it.
Meaning behind my piece
I carved out a woman with a X over her face, covering all her facial features. The reason for this was to cover her mouth. From the title "Voices" we can figure out it's something to do with voice, speaking. The women with the X in my project, represents all the women out there in the world that aren't able to speak for themselves and that don't have a right to speak their opinion. Woman in different parts of the world unfortunately aren't heard. They try to break the rules but it could cost them their lives.
Inspiration
My inspiration for this project was a book we are currently reading in my English Literature class, "The Sand Child" by Tahar Ben Jelloun. The book is set in Morocco. The father of a family of eight daughters decides to raise his eighth daughter as a son, because of his desperation to have a male heir. The book talks about the problems women have in Moroccan society. This book inspired my culture inspiration, Morocco. The women in Moroccan culture don't have the same equal rights as women in other countries do, for example Western countries. The men in Morocco have a higher status than women. For example when most Moroccan women have to have medical treatment they have to get a written consent from their husbands allowing them to go. It's just like here when we have to get permission from our parents to go on a field trips, but we are minors, women in Morocco aren't. It's unfair for the woman, they have their own voice, they should have a right to decide their own fate, not rely on a man. Another thing that I find unfair is that woman have to wear their traditional clothing but man don't. The women should have a choice on what they want to wear.
In other words, "Voices" shows how women don't have the right to speak for themselves.
In other words, "Voices" shows how women don't have the right to speak for themselves.