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Etudes - 2000 to 2001 music-based monotypes In
music, an etude is a study, focusing on one aspect of technique. Similarly,
in this group of monotypes I explored the compositional possibilities
of distorted musical marks concentrated in one central cluster. I tried
to convey a visual equivalent of the way music exists in three-dimensional
space. This approach to spatial arrangement contrasts with the more
open compositions of the previous "Convergence" series, and is
somewhat analogous to a small solo or chamber work. I've also restricted
the colors to a range of white transparencies and translucencies, with
the occasional addition of pale yellow. Printed by Marina Ancona at 10 Grand Press
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Convergence - 2000 music-based
monotypes/collages The title of this initial series of music - related monotypes refers to the correspondence between abstract phenomena in both music and art such as harmony, color, texture, rhythm, and contrast. I use the symbols of music notation to create the graphic equivalent of sounds moving in space, where the elements interact by floating, blending, separating, and overlapping - a visual metaphor for the complexity of musical composition. The use of black paper enhances the illusion of depth.
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Sea Change: CONFLUENCE - 1999 to 2000 The title of this series, Confluence, refers to the interaction of forces in the ocean. The flow of currents is generally constant and predictable, while the activity of volcanic eruptions along rifts in the ocean floor can be sudden and dramatic. All of this activity takes place in the presence of the steady movement of tectonic plates, which results in the sporadic occurrence of earthquakes and tsunamis. I interpret these phenomena by layering transparent and translucent forms, creating a sense of dynamic movement. The rhythm of these overlapping shapes travels across the space, producing a linear propulsion, as well as suggesting a sense of depth. Vivid color, the scattering of marks, and the fibers of the paper itself introduce a sense of organic life, and further animate the environment. |
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Sea Change - 1990 to 2000 ocean-based monotypes In this exciting group of monotypes Linda Plotkin accomplished several personal goals. She liberated her imagery, style and technique, conquering a rigidity that she had begun to feel restricting for her. She found the courage to take risks, turning away from the comfort and certainty of her proven method. The artist also wished to escape the drudgery that her work threatened to become, and the enjoyment and elation that she felt in creating these prints shines from each of them. The monotypes are ambitious, and it is clear that Plotkin pushed herself to develop their sophisticated themes, compositions and techniques. Despite the apparent entropy and immediacy of these images, they are discreetly considered and punctiliously methodical. This is reflected in the artist's compulsion to adjust and refine her monotypes, even after the ink has dried. The prints are personal in their content, derived from the artist's deeply-felt visual experiences, filtered through a contemplative, adventuresome personality. Excerpt
from catalog essay for solo exhibition of monotypes, "Sea Change",
at the G.W. Einstein Gallery, NYC 1994, by David Acton, Curator of Prints,
Drawings and Photographs at
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 Connecticut Afternoon, 1987, oil on paper, 30" x 45" |
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Still Lifes - 1982 to 1990 Oil paintings & monotypes Much as I admire and like all of her earlier work, I believe that these are the finest works she has made so far. These are powerful paintings in which the alchemy of sunlight works its magic on ordinary, yet extraordinary, objects of a kind we all own and treasure. The warmth of the content of these new pictures is held in check neverthless by the intellectual rigor of their depictions. This is rich artistic food, to be taken in slowly, to be lived with and understood only in time, unlike so much of the flashier art being promoted today. Plotkin's memories and personal icons will surely speak to a wide audience for her impeccable ordering of her symbols is especially welcome in our chaotic world. Ann
Sutherland Harris Professor of Art History Unversity of Pittsburgh Etchings and Lithographs available through DSA Fine Arts |
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