What is causing this seemingly unstoppable need for expressing myself visually? Well, we build upon a long tradition leading us back to the first traces of human art, on stones, in caves, and sculpted materials of humans. These paintings connected people. People believed in the power of making signs, that it could influence their lives.
Today we have the explanations of why crops fail, why we are fertile or not. We know what thunder is. We know so much, but do we believe it? Are there too many answers? Making pictures is just about this. It opens the door for reflections. Are we still trying to communicate to a power bigger than ourselves, or is it a need to tell our descendants; “I was here”.
The question can be simple, but the answer may seem unconnected from it´s origin. There are no simple answers. May be no answers at all. Just this questions, seemingly without any value for many, but crucial for a few of us. I started this post with a question, and even though I have done this for so many years I cannot answer. I just do it. Because I want, and because I hope. I know I cannot change the world. I also know that today I would have to approach the art world through other means than printmaking if I wanted the big headers. Even though printmaking is the forerunner of our media world, it is regarded as an area for the few insiders, a playground for nerds.
So what was my question? How does my voice sound – or look? I have to go back. As a child the question was obvious. What is eternity? How can something not have and end? Big questions. Too big, and we find our shelter in daily problems. I approach my plates. I let my tools dig into materials, scrape the surface. My hand performs a kind of visual dance, and afterwards I may discover what I was doing by taking a print. Will my question be hidden there?
The great thing about printmaking is that I can ask the same question, over and over again, just changing a colour, adding some signs, turning the plate etc etc.
So the conclusion is, printmaking is ruling when it comes to the big questions. 