STONED

Stoning or Lapidation, is a form of capital punishment that has been used throughout the ages by different cultures. The reasons one might find themselves on the receiving end of a granite shower are dependent on these differences, but one common trope seems to turn up more often than not.

Infidelity, adultery, hanky-panky, whatever you want to call it, seemed to be High on the list of reasons for getting Stoned. It’s really just not okay, whichever way you look at it, and I should make my point soon before I get accused of being insensitive or something.

I’m an adultress. Not like that. I’m cheating on intaglio. With lithography. Yeaaaaaah.

Stones?! Greasy crayons?! Where’s the copper man? No hardground? Come on, this ain’t printmaking!

Except it is. And it is exceptional. Much like intaglio printmaking, lithography has that kinship to the process of cooking that continues to entice me. The foresight that goes into the mis en place, the catalogue of ingredients that one collects and places within arm’s reach—this same mentality goes into the creation of the lithography mis en plate. 

The first Mis. 

The mis you see above is the set-up for the second etch; this means that the image has been drawn onto the stone with a greasy agent (in this case, autographic ink), then inked and prepared for this stage. The surface of the limestone is divided into different areas that either accept water and reject the grease of the ink (hydrophilic) or accept grease and repel water (hydrophobic). Then some magic happens. And when those two factors work together, they cause an image to appear on the page. Like this: 

My second lithograph EVER. (the one from beginning printmaking doesn't count 'cause it's TERRIBLE)

Lithography has been, truth be told, a nice respite from intaglio. My adultery has made me more organized, my "mises" more efficient, and is slowly but surely revealing to me my obsessive compulsive tendencies. As with Intaglio: sign me up, this looks and is pretty rad. 

FODDER: