New Work by Krista Mezzadri
Krista Mezzadri
New Work
January 17 — April 25, 2025
“I work with tengujo, an exceptionally thin washi paper most often used in book and document conservation, to create prints using a unique adaptation of trace monotype printmaking. My method involves mark-making by transferring ink from an inked glass plate to the underside of the paper through applied pressure with various tools. The paper's remarkable thinness allows the ink to show through to the top surface, yet stay transparent, and this distinct attribute is my basis for using it. I also utilize leftover ink to produce "ghost prints" on additional sheets of tengujo; these present the “negative” of the initial print, and have a muted quality. All printing is done entirely by hand, without the use of a printmaking press, as I manipulate tools such as scrapers, squeegees, and clay shapers, as well as my hand pressure, to make varying marks. The paper is ethereal yet strong enough for me to work in this way.
Once the prints are dry, I layer them together, visualizing the translucent composition, and laminate them onto wood panels using rice paste. Altogether, the delicate material becomes dimensional and permanent. Similar to collage, the final artwork is a sum of parts; but, unlike typical collage work, my prints are fully-intact sheets that span the panel substrate, and the imagery comes from the top-down see-through effect.
Holistically, this process reflects my broader consideration, which explores the confluence between hand-printed washi and wood. I choose this specific media in this particular style of printmaking fundamentally as an expression of revealing and obscuring. As the translucent washi prints are layered over each other, I allow certain marks, colors, and irregularities to show, shaping the composition; some of these same aspects are concealed, requiring concession between what is seen and what is obscured. Lastly, wood as a substrate adds structure to the seemingly delicate paper, and serves as a literal underpinning that presents the prints with a confident solidity; metaphorically as a stage. My practice is a continual exploration of contrasts; finding balance between delicateness and strength, appearance and what’s beneath.”
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