|
|
Animals of the Asian Zodiac
Pamela has returned to an old fvourite technique - relief printing - for the production of a suite of images depicting the animals of the Asian zodiac. The essential feature of relief printing is the amount of craftsmanship and skill required of the artist. Firstly there is the hand preparation of the art-work and then its transfer in reverse to a block. The block is carved then inked and finally prints are ‘pulled' from it. In the case of the prints in this suite, more than one block has been used to create each detailed image. These multiple plates must register exactly over each other to give a variety of colours and clarity to the work. An expert combination of embossing, and the use of matt and gloss inks to create subtle variations in the surface of the images, has allowed Pamela Griffith to create a rich and unique quality in her works. Relief printing is an extraction process. Pamela works with a variety of carving tools from coarse to fine, removing areas where she wants colour to be absent, and leaving the surface untouched where she wants to apply colour by roll up. A variety of rollers are used to lay down the ink and the image is transferred to the paper under pressure.
 Twenty suites of the twelve different prints are presented in an archival clam box, hand crafted by master box maker Mario Zammit of Archival Products Australia Pty Ltd. Its red linen cover bears a hand applied block print that references eastern and western traditions of gift giving and exchange. The other prints in the edition of forty are being released as individual works.
Like Chinese artists of the past, most of Pamela’s work has been inspired by nature. She pays homage to this tradition by producing the twelve animals of the Chinese zodiac in her distinctly western style. Relief printing produces very different results to the etchings and lithographs that this artist is also well known for. Pamela is a master printmaker who has work in major collections all over the world. Long time collaborator Trevor Riach has assisted Pamela in the printing of this project.
|
|
Current work 
