The Limited Edition Prints have been a very special process for me. 15 years ago I already had the idea to scan my small collages, blow them up very large and then print them. But at the time that was not feasible. I was looking for an effect that would leave you wondering if you are looking at a print or a painting. That you can no longer see what has been printed or painted. Several times I investigated the possibilities, how I could (have) that done, but it was then not possible to add anything to the print and paint over it.
Sometimes ideas have to be on the shelf for a while, they need time to mature and then suddenly everything comes together and it turns out to be even more beautiful. The framer I have been working with for a number of years told me that he had made a large investment in a special printer with ink that has a very high quality. Because of that printer and ink, he also received a license to work with Hahnemühle’s paper. Hahnemühle is a German company and has been producing very high (museum) quality paper with very special structures and of for a number of generations. Suddenly I could take my idea from years before off the shelf. Would it now be possible to enlarge a small design? To give it a picturesque effect and still edit it after the print was finished?
We started with a collage based on a photo from a magazine from 1952. This was scanned and then edited with the computer. We tried different types of paper and made proofs. I was so impressed by the sharpness of the print and the special effect of the paper. The resultsare unbelievable. It looks like there is fabric on the print and the paint stroke of a small brush now enlarged looks like a large stripe of a block brush.
Through the collaboration with the frame maker, his expertise and by discussing my idea together, we came up with the idea to glue the print acid-free on dibond (compressed aluminum). This way the print could be framed without glass and it got even more of a painting-like effect. By choosing a certain type of paper that has millions of small hairs, the fabric expression was increased. In combination with the graininess of the analogously made old photos, it looks like velvet.
When the first print was finished and I processed it with paint and glitter it came to life, it got even more depth and layering. This turned out so much better than I ever imagined! Every print is processed by me by hand with paint and glitter, making them more three-dimensional and all unique. They are very small editions and the processing is different every time.
Now that the prints are in my Pop Up store, it is really nice to see how people react to them. Almost everyone is fascinated by it, wants to know how it is made, wants to touch and feel it. You also do not immediately understand what kind of material it is and how it is made and whether it is painted or printed. For me, that makes the work work work extra successful, because I am a painter who makes a print and because it evokes that wonder and reactions.
Recently it has also been possible to make the print in a round version, the Dibond is milled and the work seems to float on the wall.
There are more designs ready to make, slowly I prepare my collection of Limited Edition Prints and every time I am very happy when I can have a new design printed. It is always exciting to see it for the first time and to see the power of the scaling up in combination with the techniques that are available today do its magical work again and again.