Peter Reddick - Woodblock Prints
A while ago I picked up a booklet from box of giveaway books at Spike Island. Peter Reddick's woodcarvings. Most of the prints are black and white wood carvings of characters and scenes from Tess of the Durbervilles. In the middle of the booklet a beautiful colour woodblock print of Old Harry Rocks. I immediately fell in love with these colour wood block prints.
Peter Reddick founded Spike Island Print studio over 30 years ago. Since that time, the print studio has been thriving with printmaking courses, talks and events. This weekend artists open up their studios to the public. Spike Open is a buzzing maze of corridors leading to a wild concoction of visual delight. Studio spaces containing landscapes, soundscapes, light space, dark space, figurative, abstract, madstract professors fusing elements into sculptorious splendour. Metal, stone, brick, ceramic, glass, wood...
John Lynch - Woodblocks
In the entrance corridor to Spike Print studios, four wood blocks are displayed on the wall next to a colour print. Detailed carvings with registration marks carved into each block. I am mesmerised by the blocks. After looking at the Japanese woodblock prints at The Scottish National Gallery and wondering about the original blocks I am now standing in front of a contemporary woodblock print and find myself completely fascinated by the carved blocks that made this print. I am thrilled that John Lynch has displayed his beautifully carved blocks as works of art next to his striking prints.
John's woodblocks remind me of a visit last year to the Bristol Museum when The William Morris Gallery was on tour. The woodblocks are mounted on the wall next to textile designs by William Morris. The blocks were beautiful objects in themselves and show the wonderful craftsmanship that goes into each block to produce his multicolour hand printed textiles.