Exhibit | The Wonder of Nature

When

Tuesday October 1, 2024: 10:00am to Sunday November 10, 2024: 8:00pm

Where

Malletts Creek Branch: Exhibits

Description

Woodcuts or wood block prints allow for a strong expression of lines and shapes. Combining that with background paintings allows for the addition of subtlety. When the paper is pressed into the wood, the resulting print contains not only the image from the plate, but some embossing that gives a 3D aspect to the print.

Dennis Gordon’s work is inspired by the beauty he sees in the amazing and in the mundane world that surrounds us. Dappled shadows, tree branches against the sky, ripples in the water, cityscapes, people – all engraved into wood plates, inked, and printed on a printmaking press. His background in printmaking has led him to explore new options in relief printing, specifically, woodcuts or wood engravings. Other printmaking areas, such as intaglio, silk screen, and lithography have all embraced the photographic process and new technologies, and Dennis applies this innovative aspect to his woodcuts.

Some of Dennis’s woodcuts are printed with multiple plates. For example, some pieces use one plate for each color. This multi-plate method allows for a more consistent edition than the background painting method. Dennis finds woodcuts to be an exciting media for many reasons, but the two biggest might be the bold line work and the slight dimensionality created by pressing paper into the wood. He aims to instill a mystery or sensuality to his woodcuts as he believes great art should produce a mood, emotion, or some reaction in the viewer.