Tal R | Woodcuts

While Tal R’s 2023 woodcuts are not directly related to each other, they share a common motif: all three prints depict ephemeral natural phenomena that are either barely perceptible or might normally escape our attention.

Tal R frequently uses copperplates and woodblocks as testing grounds for ideas and motives, which he later translates into other media.

I intend to continue working with these motives, possibly in painting. Printmaking is a tool for experimentation which informs my practice in other media. I am sure these images will be occupying my mind for some time to come.

Tal R

The dates Tal R carved into his three woodcuts suggest that they were created in a timespan of less than a week. But were they? The simple gesture of integrating the date of creation into the printing plate raises questions about the printmaking process itself: when is a woodcut really finished? When the artist completed the carving? When, after a series of test-prints, the final version of the motive is ready for printing? When all edition numbers have been printed, signed and numbered? Similarly, carving his name into the plate may trigger questions regarding the authenticity of the artist signature. As is often the case with his work, Tal R examines artistic media during the process of working with them.