Michael Carlo

Earth Works
Zinc Plate: Lithographic Crayon and Tusche
6 Runs employing a reductive technique
205mm x 180mm (each print)
2006

I was initiated into stone lithography in 1960 at Colchester School of Art. My work then as now is landscape based. Working on a stone was like working on the land. I liked the hard labour and the toughness of it. At the Royal College of Art in 1995 I won the K.M.P. Lithography prize. I now work on stones in my own studio.

In May 2006 The Curwen Studio invited me to do a set of twelve lithographs on large plates. I drew six images on one plate direct from sketch book studies. Black was printed first for all six images. Then with the plate still on the press I worked by scraping, rubbing out part of the image. White was then overprinted, whilst retaining much of the original black, this procedure was repeated for two further colours.

‘Reduction Lithography’ is very alive and hands on like Jazz. I had the title and knew the tune very well, but let things happen during the process. So the result is not a reproduction of an original work, but an original lithograph.

I thank the Curwen Studio and an excellent Master Printer and artist, Andrew Curtis for all the freedom and help they gave me.

Studio website