Reference Work
In art, a reference work is the original artwork upon which an edition or reproduction is based. Sometimes these derivatives seek to replicate the reference work exactly, while at other times a reference work serves as a jumping off point for creating something new.
7 results found for "Reference Work"
What is silkscreen printing?
Kaius, a printmaker, takes a break from crafting exquisite editions at Make-Ready in London to guide us through the fundamentals and speculative future of screen printing and serigraphy.
Ayako Rokkaku: Painting in public
Relive a first of it's kind live painting event with Japanese artist Ayako Rokkaku, then discover the process involved in transforming it into a limited edition print.
Tschabalala Self in London
We all do it, but what does it mean to sit?
Seated
With her first ever public sculpture, Tschabalala Self brings ongoing explorations of body politics and domestic performance to London.
The Seed Shiver Shine & Bright
Code-crashing maximalism presides over a new print edition by Tomokazu Matsuyama.In The Seed Shiver Shine & Bright, an opulent and largely symmetrical interior is disrupted by the irregular, swerving profile of its outer edge. Matsuyama toys with arbitrariness, compiling objects and motifs from far flung corners of his life in New York City. An androgynous, mafia-esque figure is surrounded by animals dead and alive – alongside fruit, flowers and a whiskey on the rocks.Flocking, varnish and glitter draw out choice details from the reference work, while snow-like silkscreen spots add a final layer of surreal complexity to the composition. For Matsuyama the process of creating an edition presents a chance to reinvent, rather than simply recreate, his paintings. “I finish a painting, and from there on there’s another journey.”
Sunday Afternoon
Sunday Afternoon translates a classic Bäst portrait into a multi-layered silkscreen print. Michael “Bäst” Polimeni was a linchpin of Brooklyn’s creative community. Making art for city streets, gallery walls and fashion runways alike, his inimitable mode of amalgamation made wry critique of life under capitalism.Bäst picked Sunday Afternoon as the reference work for a collaboration before his passing in 2021. In the time since, we have worked closely with the artist’s estate and his longtime collaborator, Paul Insect, to complete the edition. The resulting prints capture the energetic absurdism which underscored Bäst’s label-dodging practice. Individually-cut appliqué layers nod to his literal and conceptual medium of choice – collage.
Lady in Yellow on Spiral Seat #2 Teal Background
With an expansive practice centred on textile paintings and stretching from fashion to theatre, Tschabalala Self asks what it means to have a body. Lady in Yellow on Spiral Seat #2 Teal Background is based on the original reference work for Self’s first large-scale public sculpture. Centred on a poised and stylish female figure, the original painting has been transformed into a luminous 21-colour silkscreen print.“The woman is strong, beautiful and self-possessed. She represents all individuals, but women in particular, who understand the power and importance of simple gestures that assert their right to take up space.”On October 5 Self's monumental sculpture was unveiled at Coal Drops Yard in London, where it will remain on view until early 2023. To discover the collaboration in full, visit the accompanying journal.