Waterless Litho and a Special Field Trip

My weeks in Buenos Aires usually start with Lorena and Matias picking an advanced technique out of the Tamarind  book of lithography and asking me if we can make it work.  This week was experimenting with waterless lithography using positive photo plates as our starting matrices (printing surfaces).  I know I just threw a lot at you right there but I'll break it down.  The basic principle of lithography is that grease and water reject each other.  When a lithography matrix is wet the grease loving image will take the grease based ink from the roller while the wet non-image areas reject the ink keeping those areas blank.  Then when the image is inked to the printers liking, paper is placed on top of the matrix and pressure is applied to create an impression.   Water is necessary in lithography but there is one exception to the rule and that is waterless lithography.  I didn't know if we could make the process work in Argentina but we made some tests and documented our steps.  Here's what we did.   

We start by developing 3 positive photo plates that we will conduct our tests on.  The thin aluminum plates come with a light sensitive emulsion covering the surface of the matrix.  A transparency is placed on the plate and we briefly expose the plates with intense light.  An opaque  image is on the transparency which protects the emulsion from the light.  The plate is then developed with a special chemical that removes all areas exposed by the light.  Only the image is left on the matrix since it was protected from the light.

  
Once the plates are exposed we add a special type of silicon to a beaker.  When dry the slick surface of this silicon will not take ink.  I carefully add about two ounces of the silicon to the beaker.

Protecting my respiratory system I slowly infuse turpentine to the silicon.  This loosens the silicon so it can be applied to create the smoothest surface possible.  I know the mixture is ready when it becomes similar to the constancy of honey.

  
Lorena adds about the third of the mixture to the plate and then uses a piece of book board to evenly spread it out.  The plate is taped down on a piece of news print which is also taped to the press to avoid slippage.    

Lorena then gently buffs the surface of the plate with cheese cloth (a very soft material) until any streaks are removed and the coat appears to be perfectly even.  After this the plate must dry for 24 hours.  We repeat this process for all three plates, slightly changing the consistency of the silicon each time.

The next day we eagerly washed out the emulsion with acetone (the moment of truth).  The emulsion acts as a protector for the image.  When acetone is applied it takes the emulsion and the image off the plate and the silicon just above it as well.  This exposes the bare aluminum plate in the area where the image once was.  In theory when inking up the plate, the roller just slides on the surface while the exposed aluminum takes the ink.   Under my careful inspection i noticed that the silicon was dry but not as slick as I remembered it from the Tamarind days. Of course I was a little nervous but optimistic none the less .  When Lorena rolled it up we knew that we were successful.  After we tried printing all of our tests we agreed that the most successful waterless plate was the one with the most thinned silicon mixture.  

   
We printed on the etching press with slightly damp archival cotton rag paper.  After a couple impressions we called it a day.

Here are the two impressions that we pulled with the waterless matrix on the right.  When we finished we cleaned the image out with acetone so that it could be used for a later date if needed.  All in all it was a successful week and to celebrate we visited the great Argentine lithographer, Ernesto Pesce.

Ernesto was kind enough to invite Lorena, Matias and myself over to his studio to enjoy some amazing prints and great conversations.  Lorena and Matias told me that back in the early 70s there weren't any lithographers in Buenos Aires or Argentina for that matter.  A close friend and fellow artist of Ernesto's visited Europe and returned with an idea to bring lithography to his country.  Ernesto and his friend started producing lithographs while teaching themselves as they went along.  Ernesto fell in love with the process and produced world renown lithographs for several decades and also became the professor of lithography at the academy of fine arts in Buenos Aires.  Due to the extremely physical nature of the process, Ernesto retired from producing lithographs but he still produces extraordinary artwork and teaches drawing and lithography in the city.

 
It was truly an honor to meet such an inspiring person and incredible lithographer.  I know that when i leave in May this will be one of my most memorable experiences from my trip.

I haven't been spending all my time exclusively in the studio, I'm sure you could've guessed that though.  Since Barnaby (my old roomate) is back from Patagonia with his parents, we've managed to enjoy a few delicious meals together.  Last night his parents took Barney, Maru and me out for a traditional asado (bbq).  Of course it was delicious and our tiny table sized grill came with all my favorite cow parts.  Earlier in the week we went to our favorite Peruvian spot to enjoy the city's finest calamari (at least we think so).  Note for all of you coming to visit me and you know who you are:  I'm going to take you out one day to this spot and once you go you'll crave it everyday, i'm sorry but i can't help to build it up... it's really that good.

As you can tell all is far more than well down here in the southern hemisphere.  This weekend I'm looking forward to seeing one of the grandest waterfalls on planet earth, Iguazu falls.  If you can't wait to for the next blog google iguazu fall, the devils throat.  I hear it's a must see for anyone spending a significant amount of time in this country.  I'll let you know how it goes.  Until then, enjoy the rest of your week and have a rockin' weekend.

Playing in the Studio

This past week I spend 3 days at AB UNO rocking out with Lorena and Matias on some new lithography projects.  On Tuesday and Thursday we tested out some very practical techniques in stone lithography and also some less useful ones that were geared more as good learning experiences.  The days in the studio were super productive and although all our experiments didn't turn out perfectly, the amount learned was off the charts.  We also managed to run into a couple of fun surprises... fun at least for printmaking dorks like us.

The first thing was to grain our stones.  At AB UNO we grain our stones by placing one stone on the graining table face up while evenly spinning the second stone on top of the first.  Using water between the two stones so that the top stone can spin easily.  We also use carborundum a.k.a. silicon carbide (60, 120, 180 and 240 grit) between the stones to remove the last image from both stones and prepare the surface for new drawing materials.   The limestones that we use come from a quarry near Munich, Germany.  These specific limestones are rich in calcium carbonate and carbon dioxide which is essential for the lithography process.  (Fun Fact!:  Lithography was invented by Alois Senefelder in 1796.  Some contemporary lithographers curse Senefelder's name for inventing the process due to its problematic nature, but deep down we don't mean it.)       

 
The press room doubled as a classroom where I explained in detail tusche (pronounced too-sh) washes to Lorena and Matias.  Basically tusche is a highly concentrated greasy material that can be mixed with water or solvents to create areas that have a wide tonal range with diverse reticulations.  I brought two types of tusches from the states so that we could test their differences.  One was a liquid concentrate and the other was a solid that needed to be turned into a liquid concentrate using water.  With a dropper I added 20,50 and 80 drops of each concentrate to 1 ounce of distilled water.  I also added some of the liquid tusche concentrate to various amounts of rubbing alcohol to make a light, medium and dark solvent wash.  Various solvents provide different reticulations because of the chemicals in the solvents reacting to the grease of the tusche.     

As I made my own tests to see the different variables of the tusche washes, Lorena and Matias created drawings with the same washes.  Tusche washes are one of the most difficult materials in lithography to control but the result of this material is very unique when executed properly.

Above is my test stone with all my notes written below each test.  I puddled the washes in their designated areas and when the water completely evaporated I processed or etched the stone.  Meaning I chemically changed the surface of the stone with a calculated amount of gum arabic and nitric acid so that the drawing will except grease from my roller and the open areas of the stone will be water loving (this is the basic principle of lithography).  

After the first etch Lorena assists Matias by keeping the stone wet with a sponge as he rolls up his first tusche wash drawing.  All three of our washes turned out about the same after we rolled them up.  Our medium and dark washes turned out the best while our delicate light didn't quite come out.  

 
Above is my test after I rolled it up with black ink.  The alcohol washes turned out perfect but as you can see the water washes need some tweaking.  It's always important to keep notes when working with new materials.  We learned a lot from making these washes and I would bet that the next time we do it they'll be close to perfect.  

More processes means more stones to be grained.  After the tusche wash tests we wanted to try our hand at lo-shu washes and we figured we'd mess around with some negative methods.  

The idea of the lo-shu wash is that you mix teensy amounts of gum arabic with water to puddle on a stone, and when the stone dries you are left with an interesting reticulation.  The reticulation is created when the water slowly evaporates leaving a delicate paterning of gum.  The gum then protects the stone from grease and all the areas without gum will be black.  Because the water takes so long to evaporate we start up on the other negative process. 

Above Lorena and Matias are drawing on their stones with water soluble materials that we think will protect the stone from grease.  Like the lo-shu wash this is another exercise in working negatively, meaning everything that is drawn will ultimately be blank or white and the non image areas will be black.

After rolling up her stone Lorena identifies the areas that were successful and the areas just plain didn't work.  She feels good about the experiment and looks forward to working with the process more in the future.    

After our lo-shu washes dry we cover the surface of our stones with a mix of ink and terpintine.  This establishes a grease reservoir into all open areas of the stone.  Above is a close up on my most successful lo-sho wash test.  In three of the tests i mixed salt into the washes.   Matias had great success with the salt lo-shu washes.

I was actually super surprised when Matias rolled up his stone in ink.  The salt created reticulations that i've never seen before.  All in all the testing of AB UNO's new materials made us all think about the great possibilities of using these materials and others in the future.  Hopefully when artists come into studio to work they will see our tests and become excited and inspired to incorporate some of them into their work.     

Litho, Mate and Smiles!

Today was the official start of Part Two:  Lithography in Argentina.  The morning came a little quicker than I wanted it to, but I knew multiple hot cups of Mate were waiting for me at the end of my 35 minute bus ride to Villa del Parque (the neighboorhood of AB UNO).  The bus was empty and I sat in the back savoring the last of the left over strawberry peach cobbler from the weekend asado.  I knew it was going to be a good day.    

The plan was for me to assist Lorena as she printed four lithographs for her new artist book.  

Above Lorena is preparing her rockin leather roller by scraping the old ink off with my mom's old frosting spatula (Thanks Mom!) before rolling up with fresh black ink.  There's nothing like printing stone lithography with a leather roller.  

Throughout the day Lorena printed through nearly 40 sheets of paper while I assisted.  Some will argue that the job of the assistant is just as important as the printer's.  Above:  While keeping the stone wet with a sponge, the assistant has one free hand to drink Mate while he works.  (Note:  Mate is a herbal tea which is very common in Argentina and other parts of South America.  It is typically consumed from a gourd or metal covered wooden vessel using a metal straw to drink water that has filtered through the dry herb called Yerba Mate.  The Mate provides many with a strong earthy taste and also a brilliant lift.)  

Today was a perfect printing day with a couple breaks for rounds of Mate.  We rolled through the editions in about 8 or 9 hours, and then had more Mate to celebrate.  

Lorena's prints drying out and looking amazing.  

After printing Lorena, Matias and I discussed plans for the next few days in the studio.  Since last week they have been reading the Tamarind Institute's new book on lithography.  There are many processes in the book that Lorena and Matias aren't familiar with and want to experiment in.  I'm happy to join them in that adventure.  The idea is to make their collaborative studio strong in aspects of stone lithography that no other shop in the country offers.  This will hopefully help draw more artists to work with AB UNO.  Tomorrow we will start with some tusche wash tests followed by some Lo-Shu washes, acylic reversals, acid tinting, and who knows what else.  Yee-haw!   

As if my day couldn't get any better, while I was walking home I passed a dude with a glorious dread mullet.  I'm actually still smiling from the sighting.   

Back in Time 

So before my first printmaking day of 09, I had one heck of a weekend. 

 It started out with going to a restaurant featuring Brazilian cuisine with my good friend Barney's brother (Seb) and  Barney's gal (Maru) on Thursday.  That day Seb got back to BsAs after a two week stint in Patagonia with his bro (Barnaby is still there with his parents and will be back this wednesday) then left the next morning for England.    

The next day my roommate Adam and I took a train to Tigre after a late start in the afternoon.  We wondered the town for a few hours and after missing the last boat tour around the delta we decided to get a steak sandwich and an ice cold brewski.  Temperatures exceeded 105 degrees that day before cooling down to the 70's for the later part of the weekend.  

It wouldn't be a weekend in Argentina without an Asado every day!  We kept the grill going for most of the weekend and produced some of the tastiest steaks, chicken and burgers that our rooftop terrace has ever seen.  We also grilled some vegetables.

  
During the week the tiny soft spoken smiley produce woman (she also has a gold grill (grill is slang for teeth)) tossed a complimentary peach into my bag (I buy from her almost everyday and she'll throw in a little something extra to show me she appreciates my business).  So the next day I had that peach and it was awesome.  That night I picked up 12 more with a fat sack of strawberries and whipped up a strawberry peach cobbler as my addition to the asado.  I wish I didn't polish the rest off on the bus this morning.  

I hope the image makes you laugh.  Have a great day!   

Nothing Beats Clean Clothes

MY BAGS ARE IN!!!!  And to my surprise nothing was broken!  I know many of you were concerned if my jars of mustard and bbq sauce successfully made the five day trip.  Unfortunately customs confiscated one of my printmaking supplies... the asphaltum.  I figured they would for sure take my 100 pack of razor blades or my bottle of liquid grease for drawing.  I can live without the asphaltum.   So to celebrate the successful smuggling of lithography related contraband, I went to an outdoor percussion concert with my roommates.  

      

La Bomba en Tiempo

There is no better way to start a Monday night than going to see La Bomba at the Konex.  Thousand upon thousands of people fill up this open air abandoned factory type venue to groove until about ten.  Beer is sold for 15 pesos (a little less than 5 bucks) a liter.  Pricey for Argentina but a deal by US standards.  The concert was great with pumping energy and enthusiastic fans.  After the show we made our way to a small bar hosting a tango concert.  The night ended with the five of us chowing down on a delicious Peruvian feast.

Wednesday I met with my amazing Argentine friends Lorena and Matias for dinner at their apartment/ printmaking studio, AB UNO.  On my first trip to Argentina I produced a series of four lithographs at AB UNO with their help and expertise.  The experience was incredible and Lorena and Matias were the biggest reason why I came back to this city.  I'm really looking forward to working them during the next four months.    

Lorena made a pizza that was absolutely unbeatable.  The entire pie was homemade with a special eggplant topping that melted in my mouth with deliciousness.  We discussed plans for the future over drinks and dinner.  On Monday we'll start with some ambitious and fun projects from the new Tamarind book of techniques for fine art lithography.  Who knows what else we'll get into.    

We talked and listened to Jazz, Tengo and Iron Maiden on their porch until 2 in the morning.  I took the always reliable 24 bus home just like old times (even though they raised the price to 1.25 pesos).   It is a dream to be back in Argentina with my friends.    

 

Welcome Back

We'll, I'm back in Buenos Aires (BsAs), Argentina for a second stint.  The start has been a little rocky.  It's day four, my luggage is still in Atlanta and I'm coming off a bit of a cold (I think the dramatic change in weather shocked my system quite nicely).  Besides a couple hiccups, life has been more than excellent.  The weather is a dream and dollar is strong.  It's been sunny with high 80s during the day and cooling off a bit at night, usually with a moderate breeze. 

 I moved back into my old place at 4071 Lezica.  There have been a few additions to the place, but for the most part it's the same.   The most popular addition is the  5' x 8' pool on the rooftop terrace.  During the weekend all my roommates rocked swim trunks.  There are also two new roommates; Adam from Queens and Connor from somewhere in Wyoming. 

Since I've been back I've hit all my favorite spots... The fresh pasta shop, the vegi stand in the Chinese market, the bakery (which i'll argue is the best in the city), the dry cleaners and of course the sandwich man.  The sandwich man makes the best 3 dollar sandwich i've ever eaten.  I frequent that place like nobody's business and Charles already has a running tab for me.  Everyone remembers me with there smiles and kind words and I feel at home coming back to this neighborhood.  

Que Lindo?

And there's a new kitten that goes by Kung Fu.  I'm not the biggest fan of cats being mildly allergic but this kitten is hilarious.  Kung Fu is always messing with Hernan (this one year old cat that is absolutely huge compared to Kung Fu).  It's funny to watch them. 

So with it being my arrival/the weekend/the summer, an outdoor asado (bbq) fiesta was crucial on Saturday night.  I went with Adam and Connor to the grocery store to pick up some carne.  Of course we opted for the beef tenderloin.  We ended up getting the whole 4 pound tenderloin for about ten bucks and I stuffed it with sautéed mushrooms, onions, garlic and prosciutto before putting it on the parilla (grill).  We also had a salad.  The whole dinner was amazing and eating a good meal paired with  fernet and cola seemed to help my cold.  

On Sunday I realized my bags probably weren't going to come for a few more days, so I made a judgement call.  I decided to pick up a pair of trunks and flip flops to get me through the next few days.  I admit there may have been more logical alternatives, but whatever.  

So like I said, life is good.  I'm feeling really optimistic about this second stint even with the slight complications at the start.  I'm looking forward to meeting up with my good friends Lorena and Matias on Wednesday for dinner.   I'm also looking forward to traveling with my cousin Joe for three weeks in Feb/Mar, my parents and aunt coming to visit and enjoying myself with every opportunity and adventure that comes my way.

I hope you all enjoy the blog.