Pornographic Inspiration

It's the end of the semester, and I'm way overdue for a post on this blog. Luckily, I've got a very intriguing topic on my mind right now:

Porn.

I'm working on a new series (that I eventually hope to parlay into my graduation show in December) about the presentation of pleasure, specifically in the areas of pornography and tourism.  Both of these topics are presented to consumers in a carefully edited way, showing us people "doing" pleasure correctly, flashing absurd smiles and leaving us with unrealistic expectations of what our lives' leisure times should look like.

http://www.bransontourismcenter.com

Tittie Time

Now just look at those faces side-by-side and tell me you don't see a connection!  What I find so fascinating about all this is that these industries are selling us activities and attitudes, in realms of real life, but in the most unrealistic manner.

This is what fun looks like.

So the new series I'm working on highlights the absurd way pleasure is presented to us, purging the humanness from these real life activities (sex and leisure). Here's a shot of my works in progress... it's going to be a busy summer, with a lot to think about and even more to art about. Wish me luck.

Porn/Tourism silkscreens and mannequin, in progress, by Nikki Rice (2013)

Suicide Print Step-By-Step

Last Saturday, I was in a science-themed show at The Yetee Gallery in Aurora, IL. It was called "Billions & Billions," so I decided to make a print of Carl Sagan with one of my favorite quotes of his. It's another suicide woodcut, and once again I documented the color layers as I put them down. I've had a lot of people ask me about the process, so here is the step-by-step:

Color 1

1. Carved out the parts of block I wanted to remain the same color as the paper (white, in this case), and then rolled up the block with yellow ink, which was the lightest of the colors I planned on using in the print. Stretched my paper and laid out my registration using a jig and pins, and then printed the first color.

Color 2

2. Between each color, I tried to let my prints dry as much as possible before adding another color on top. This prevents the colors from mixing together or bleeding on the paper. I also talc on my block to help absorb excess ink before carving back into it. For the second carving, I removed all parts of the block that I wanted to remain YELLOW, then inked it up with the next color I'd be working on.

Color 3

3. Repeat the same steps for each following color layer.

Color 4

Color 5

Color 6 (final)

This is what my wood block looked like
by the time I was done printing.

4. When you're finished, all that will be left raised on your block will be the last color you printed.

Grand Opening of Antihero Prints on Etsy

I setup and opened my Etsy shop today! You can visit it at http://www.etsy.com/shop/AntiheroPrints. I currently have four prints up for sale, and will be adding more over the summer, as well as a series of greeting cards I'm working on.

I also updated the 2012 Gallery again, including my newest print, a reductive litho I did for NIU's Bandolier Press "It's All Useless" print and music exchange. Tricky Dick forever! The song I included for the mix is Leonard Cohen's "Everybody Knows." Definitely worth a listen...

I just added photos of my two newest lithographs in the 2012 Gallery, and I'm currently working on putting together an Etsy shop where they will be available for purchase.  Of course, I will keep you updated on the shop's opening, so you can snatch them up before anyone else gets to them. :)

Upgrade!

Finished overhauling the website today. Modifications include: improved gallery pages (featuring brand new work from 2012), an updated resume, new contact information, and a "Links" page to connect you with some very talented artists. Check it out, gimme feedback.

Also... leaving for the SGCI conference in New Orleans in three days. YESSSSS.

SGC Prep

I will be attending my first SGCI conference next month, which is being held in New Orleans this year. New Orleans! I can't wait. I've got all sorts of "professional" prep to do before then, and I'm working down the list, slowly but surely.

I ordered business cards from Moo.com last night, and should be receiving those in the next couple of weeks. I chose Moo because they have a really simple WYSIWYG design interface and you can have multiple designs in each card park, which allowed me to feature many of my favorite pieces. Despite the site's simplicity, it took me FIVE hours to design my cards. Why? When humans are provided with too many choices, they have to act against the fear of making the WRONG choice, many times over. Haha. This has been researched and proven (see this article for a quick rundown of the theory of "decision fatigue").

On a related note, while choosing artwork for the business cards, I noticed that the majority of the pieces I've made ask my audience to think about why we're here, to which my answer has consistently been "just because." One of my flaws as an artist, in my opinion, is that I spend too much time planning my pieces, racking my brain for the best way to convey a specific theme. Free will and existentialist ideas rate high on the list of conversation topics I hope to promote with my art, and it was reassuring to see a natural connection between so many pieces I had previously thought of as being unrelated. In reality, it was their style that was unrelated, not their message.

As an homage to this happy self-discovery, I used the back of my business card as an opportunity to mock my own fleeting existence, by listing my name "obituary style" (learned during my years working at a newspaper, when I spent many evenings writing obits for local funeral homes and families). Beneath my name, I included my birth year, followed by two little letters that spell out something big about my own beliefs: "c.e." Will anyone get the joke? We'll see.

And I nearly forgot! Prior to the business card design, I got myself one of those new-fangled QR codes to connect to a small mobile site I built yesterday. The site has a few pieces of my recent work, contact info, and links to this site and my Tumblr - all accessible from the smart phone of the person holding my card. It was super easy: (1) Get your free QR code here, (2) make sure you save a version that's at least 500 x 500 px, and (3) upload it as artwork for your new card. Bam.

Next on my SGC to-do list is to update this website. I need nice photos of some newer pieces and a better gallery configuration. That's next week's challenge, though. Any ideas? Let me know.

The Jackalope} Art Conference

I will be interning this week for The Jackalope Art Conference.  In the words of the developers, "the Jackalope Art Conference concentrates on developing a sense of community through exploring nontraditional ways of making." It will take place this Friday and Saturday (January 6th & 7th) at Northern Illinois University's new Gallery 215 (215 N. 4th St., DeKalb, IL).

As of yet, my winter break has consisted of nothing but work (saving up for SGC in the spring!) and holiday-related activities, so I'm stoked to finally spend some time "out in the field." Check out the website and register to come (it's free).

It's official!

I passed my entrance portfolio review today, which means I am officially a printmaking major here at NIU.  I was given the advice to work a little more on sharpening my techniques, then do more print work in combination with other disciplines I love, like sculpture and performance art.  I was told I'm very conceptually strong and that I need to think big and use whatever mediums are necessary to communicate my ideas in the best way possible.

Also, I'm on winter break starting tomorrow, so I plan to take some time updating this site with photos of my new work from this semester.

Happiness and relief...

"The Connoisseuse"

"The Connoisseuse" Woodcut by N. Rice 2011

My most recent finished piece was a woodcut entitled "The Connoisseuse." It was displayed in the "Chatter" printmaking show at Bad Dog Gallery on October 20, 2011, along with work by my fellow Relief & Intaglio classmates. My "Ribbed for Her Pleasure" woodcut was also in the show.

It features a woman contemplating a piece by Piet Mondrian ("Composition with Black, Red, Gray, Yellow, and Blue" from 1920). I thought Mondrian's work would be interesting to use as a subject because its flatness and precision contrasts to the imperfect nature of a reductive woodcut. The title is based on a Norman Rockwell painting, called "The Connoisseur" from 1962, in which a man is shown contemplating a work by Jackson Pollock.

The process used 4 different blocks: a key block + 3 other blocks which were each reduced one time.

Proofs of my key image

Key image transferred onto all 4 blocks

Block 1, Color 1

Block 2, Color 2

Block 3, Color 3

Block 2, Colors 4 & 5 (split color roll)

Block 3, Color 6

Block 1, Color 7

Key Block, Final Image

Finally, here are some photos of the artwork at the "Chatter" show, which was a fantastic evening. We gave away a limited number of free 4 x 6" woodcut prints to the earliest guests. Those are pictured below, along with the rest of the work in the show.

4 x 6" Woodcut Freebies

Work by: Scott Steder, John Cheney, Sam Kiss, Jonathan Arends, Karen McKenney, and others

Work by: Christopher Blume, Sam Cikauskas, and Jeanette Nuxoll

Work by: Andrew, John, Ryan, Nikki Rice, and others

Find me on Tumblr!

Many items of business today...

1) I have a Tumblr account now, which is quickly becoming my insta-porta-mobile-blog.  It basically a bite-sized version of this blog, with a lot more photos and postings about things that amuse and inspire my life and my art.  I've been using it to post works in progress, as well:

 

http://nriceart.tumblr.com

2) I'd like to fill my Links page with some interesting stuff, so if you have a website showcasing your artwork, or know of any good printmaking sites, please let me know.

3) I am working on adding an event calendar to this site, but until then... my Relief & Intaglio class is going to be in a show at Bad Dog Gallery in DeKalb on October 20th, 2011 from 7-10 p.m.  It's called "Chatter" and will feature woodcuts from the entire class.  BONUS: We're giving away free prints at the show.  Come and get it!

My First Suicide Print... Awww!

I just finished my first printmaking project of the semester - a 6 color/1 block reduction woodcut (AKA a "suicide print"). This was only the 2nd woodcut I've ever done, and the process took a long time for me to wrap my brain around. I intended to take photos of each step in the color process, but one got left out.

Color 1

Color 2

Color 3

Color 4

Color 6 (Final)

An introduction...

My name's Nikki Rice and I am a Printmaking major at Northern Illinois University (with an Art History minor). Aside from showcasing my artwork, I would like this website to be a place where I can brainstorm ideas for my newest projects, share show dates and reviews, profile my favorite artists, and talk about new printmaking processes I'm learning.

I've just started my 3rd year here at NIU, and am currently enrolled in a woodcut & intaglio class. I am a printmaking n00b, and exploring new techniques on a regular basis. I'd love feedback and advice from anyone who's willing to share, and links to artists and printmaking websites would also be appreciated.

If you're interested in purchasing any of the work you see on this site, please contact me at saucygirl0@gmail.com.

Cheers!