Using figuration to explore the contemporary nude, Morag Caister examines existential concepts through expressive suggestion, portraiture, and narrative. Caister has two monotypes featured in our ‘Imprint’ group exhibition - her first experience with monoprinting - so we asked her a few questions about the process.
Your ‘Cloud Pressed’ series in ‘Imprint’ is your first experimentation with monoprinting. How did you find the process?
"I love the way the image goes through the press and moves forward so significantly, like it jumps through time. It reminds me of how hyperfocus makes time fast forward itself, and suddenly your painting has progressed a lot — but with monoprinting, that whole part just gets done for you. It makes me even more confused about where the feeling in the work comes from. The way the press changes the marks is also confusing because it doesn't take any feeling away from them, but I've been working this whole time assuming that the marks that held what was in the works together were so fragile."
How would you compare the experience of monoprinting to working with oil paints?
"It reminds me of painting without fear, which only happens when I'm experiencing a wave of fresh inspiration and direction in my work. The freshness of it usually lasts only for the first painting. I've found that so far, with the monoprinting, the fearlessness isn’t so easy to shake because to see results, you have to be fast, decisive, and bold."
Monoprinting is on a much smaller scale than your usual portraits. Did this affect your creative process?
"The smaller scale makes it easier to work 100% from photos, so I can work much faster, but having said that, I'm really excited about doing some monoprinting soon with a sitter present there with me and seeing how that goes."
You’ve mentioned that you explore 'existential concepts through figuration' during live sittings. How did this approach translate into your monoprinting work?
"It takes the same thoughts, feelings, and intentions but goes into more of a dreamt-up, personal world. Because I’m working from photos, the presence of someone else that would usually be there in live sittings isn’t going into the work, and the monoprints feel like they come more from me."
What challenges have you experienced with monoprinting, and how have they shaped your artistic growth?
"The way whatever paint goes down changes once it’s pressed has its challenges, but bearing that in mind lets me be accurate but also kind of sloppy, which has always felt like the most perfect way to get results in painting, but isn’t always easy to commit to. I love how monoprinting reminds me of it each time, and it comes back a bit more into my practice. Having to wash the Perspex sheet between prints took a little getting used to, but actually, I love the order it requires; the whole process has warmth to it."
Caister is currently featured in our group exhibition ‘Imprint’ on view until 2nd November, having already held her debut solo show 'Peacetime' at RHODES last month.
Email info@rhodeseditions.com to register your interest.
