Artist Statement

In this recent series of linoleum prints, I represent elements of unremarkable daily life imbued with amusing and quirky thoughts. While I employ drawing materials to assist in sketching out final resolve, I work primarily in printmaking because it allows me to construct an image through gradual and varied steps. Each step brings unexpected results. The most important thing is the recording of what the hand leaves behind.

My creative process is initially driven by a fascination with a particular object or idea. I work physically, carving the linoleum like a sculptor. I carve things down to their most essential parts. In several works the matrix is completely destroyed and leaves only one unique image representing permanence. Although these relief prints have been the main focus of my recent work, I am influenced by my relationship to the process and the domestic setting in which I create the work. My approach is a daily practice of intentional mark making and the intimate workspace necessitates small-scale prints. Carving out space and working through the composition until an image emerges intrigues me. What is left behind is a permanent and unified recording of simple shapes and the imperfect line.

Technical Note

Reduction print: Color prints are often made using the reduction method. A single block is used to create the image. After printing the first color, more of the block’s surface is removed. The second color is then printed, and so forth until the image is completed and the majority of the block has been carved. (The Boston Printmakers Glossary)

Sarah B. Shallbetter

Sarah B. Shallbetter