The Linocut: Affordable, Accessible, Adaptable
By Caroline Kelsick
This article was inspired by Ohanga Creative Joy Arnold’s linocut prints.
You can browse more of Arnold’s artwork in the Ohanga Market.
The practice of printmaking revolutionized art. Before printmaking’s popularity, art adorned the homes of only the wealthy. It lived only in symbolic spaces, like churches and religious buildings, and spaces of high status, like palaces and royal residences. During this stretch of history, art was also one-of-a-kind—comprised typically of custom paintings and sculptures—further solidifying its exclusive nature. Then printmaking arose as an art form in the fifteenth century, which commenced the opportunity to create multiple copies of the same image. Despite this opportunity, printmaking was originally used for utilitarian objects, like playing cards, and religious images for personal belongings. Then, in the sixteenth century, printmaking cemented itself as a medium of art, coming in a variety of forms and processes. In time, artists like Albrecht Dürer and Hendrick Goltzius became well-recognized for their prints.
Linocuts are one of the many forms of printmaking that expanded access to art. The term “linocut” is used interchangeably with other words and phrases such as linoprint or linoleum art. They all refer to a form of printmaking in which linoleum is used as the matrix to transfer ink onto a surface. The linocut form comes from the larger family of printing methods called relief printing. Relief printing is a method by which the picture is raised from the matrix surface; anything that is not to be included in the final image is cut from the surface. The most common and recognizable use of relief printing are stamps; ink clings to the raised areas of a rubber stamp and the raised image then transfers to the printing surface.
Other forms of printmaking exist within the relief family, including woodcuts and wood engravings. Reliefs differ from other forms of printing, such as intaglio, lithography, and screen printing. Each form differs by method of ink retention and transfer. With intaglio printing, the ink is retained by the cuts made into the surface; it is the opposite of relief printing in which the ink sits atop of a raised area. Alternatively, lithography is a process in which chemicals hold and repel ink; the chemicals that absorb the ink create the desired image. The other method of printmaking is screen printing which is somewhat explanatory in name. An image is designed on a screen, then ink bleeds through the designed areas and onto a surface. Each process contains various types of tools and skill sets, making them unique despite their ultimate product of a print.
Linocuts became common during the early 1900s. Linoleum had recently been invented in 1860 by Frederick Walton and became a popular flooring material which is still occasionally used in homes today, though no longer as highly favored or popular. Linocuts mimicked the process of woodcuts; they were a form of relief printmaking in which the artist drew their image onto a surface before cutting out excess. What differs between linocuts and woodcuts are the materials’ ease of carving; linoleum is a softer, more pliable material compared to the firm, more solid material of wood. Unlike the adoption of woodcuts, linocuts were unpopular and generally shunned during their early existence in the art world. Artists expressed disapproval of linocuts, citing them as elementary; many believed that linocuts did not require any professional skill of the creator. Then in the mid-twentieth century, Pablo Picasso and Henri Matisse employed the linocut method and opinions on its merit began to change. With more artists using the method, the tide of opinions shifted favorably for linocuts.
Though the early existence of linocuts was criticized, many ignored the importance of precision in linoleum cutting. It is true that linoleum is easier to cut than wood, but this fact demands that the artist be detailed and steady in their image creation. One small, mistaken movement might cause an unsightly cut that cannot be undone. So, while the linocut was initially viewed as an unskilled form, its creation certainly required a skill in precision and sturdiness. A linocut's inherent softness also presents longevity issues during the printing process. Because the material is more delicate, it can wear down faster than other matrices. This is just one of many aspects that make it unique. No two printmaking methods are alike, and each warrants a different look and style.
The beauty of the linocut lies in all the reasons it was once criticized. The medium is affordable, accessible, and adaptable. Today, printmaking linoleum can be purchased for a reasonable price in many craft stores. It is relatively beginner-friendly and consists of transferring a sketch to the linoleum matrix. What adds to the linocut’s beauty is its ability to be spread and reused. It is a part of an arsenal of mediums that democratized art, making the universal admiration and practice of art available to millions more. These traits deserve celebration by creators and anyone with an appreciation or penchant for art.
Works Cited
Erin Blakemore, “Why People Once Loved Linoleum,”JSTOR Daily, February 27 2017. https://daily.jstor.org/why-people-once-loved-linoleum/
Mark Getlein, Living with Art: 11th edition, McGraw Hill Education.
The Editors of Encyclopedia Britannica, “Linocut,” In Encyclopedia Britannica, July 20 1998.
https://www.britannica.com/technology/linocut
Thompson, Wendy, “The Printed Image in the West: History and Techniques.”
In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art. October 2003. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/prnt/hd_prnt.htm
Images:
The Four Horsemen from the Apocalypse, by Albrecht Dürer. Public Domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Durer_Apocalypse_SVG.svg#/media/File:Durer_Apocalypse_SVG.svg
Wet Afternoon, by Ethel Spowers. Public Domain. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Ethel_Spowers._Wet_afternoon,_1930._Linocut.jpg#/media/File:Ethel_Spowers._Wet_afternoon,_1930._Linocut.jpg
