Disheartened, 2024
MIGHT COULD Art Project Space, Ngāmotu
In February, Antonia O’Mahony & I gave Taranaki a Galentines/Valentines Day to remember with our public program “Disheartened” held at MIGHT COULD Art Project Space in New Plymouth. Taking a tongue in cheek attitude, we invited the public to let go of lost love through printmaking.
We adapted 1950s Valentines to feature puns such as: “Life’s Purr-fect Solo” as told by a pair of kittens or “Lettuce be over” suggested by an endearing head of lettuce.
Once printed, from linocuts we prepared, the participant was invited to set it alight and extinguish the flames on the pyre of the press, à la John Cage. To achieve this, their Valentine was placed on the bed of an A3 Fome press and set on fire, with a piece of Fabriano between the burning card and the metal press bed. Once the card was lit, Antonia & I would slowly control the fire by rolling the blazing card through the press which would extinguish the flames and create a fire print.
Each card was lit with an intention, destroyed and transformed. The new imprint signifies a new intention and letting go.
MIGHT COULD Art Project Space, Ngāmotu
In February, Antonia O’Mahony & I gave Taranaki a Galentines/Valentines Day to remember with our public program “Disheartened” held at MIGHT COULD Art Project Space in New Plymouth. Taking a tongue in cheek attitude, we invited the public to let go of lost love through printmaking.
We adapted 1950s Valentines to feature puns such as: “Life’s Purr-fect Solo” as told by a pair of kittens or “Lettuce be over” suggested by an endearing head of lettuce.
Once printed, from linocuts we prepared, the participant was invited to set it alight and extinguish the flames on the pyre of the press, à la John Cage. To achieve this, their Valentine was placed on the bed of an A3 Fome press and set on fire, with a piece of Fabriano between the burning card and the metal press bed. Once the card was lit, Antonia & I would slowly control the fire by rolling the blazing card through the press which would extinguish the flames and create a fire print.
Each card was lit with an intention, destroyed and transformed. The new imprint signifies a new intention and letting go.
