Castlemaine Press International Print Exchange 2018

I am just finalising my edition of 10 linocut prints, to send off in the post,  for this year's 2018 Castlemaine Press International Print Exchange.

The theme is 'In My Backyard'...and this linocut is entitled 'Trucks in my backyard'.

Trucks in my backyard, linocut, edition of 10, 12x12cm

There's a lot of trucks where I live in Footscray in Victoria. And I have spent quite a bit of my life fighting to get trucks of our residential streets in the inner west of Melbourne's city. I have also spent a good deal of my life advocating for more sustainable transport options such as a better networked and more reliable public transport system, more freight on rail, as well as better and safer conditions for cyclists. Sometimes it feels like not much progress has been made over the 30 years that I have been active in such campaigning. While so much of the world is investing in alternative and sustainable transport, our governments in Australia continue to fund and build more multi billion dollar road based projects that prioritise cars and trucks. Which reminds me to go and pick up a new sign for my fence against the most recent new road tunnel/freeway cutting through my suburb.

Anyway, I participate a lot in print exchanges. I love the idea of creating artwork, sending it off in the post, sometimes to the other side of the world, and receiving back the work of other artists.

Much of this is organised on a volunteer basis by artist run print studios. Thank you to the good folk at Castlemaine Press.


I also participated in their print exchange last year and this was my entry entitled In my dream backyard.

In my dream backyard, reduction linocut, edition of 10, 12x12cm

I spend a lot of time in playgrounds as part of my pain management practice. In fact everyday. So I get to think about play equipment a lot. 

At the time, I was a little disappointed in how this linocut turned out, especially given the many layers and weeks that it took to make. The reduction linocut process can be very challenging. So I remade the artwork using a single block. I am not sure which one I like better, but I like them both.

In my dream backyard II, linocut, edition of 12, 12x12cm