object desire

Inspired loosely by Swiss object posters of the 50's and 60's and more specifically by an Industrial (tractor?) compression coil I saw in a Florence antique shop sitting in a storefront window. It was dramatically illuminated by a theatrical spotlight. Like many objects designed with a purpose it had an inherent beauty in it's form that was increased by the patina its yellow paint had taken on over 50 years or so.
The shop was closed and when I went back again a few days later to enquire about the price ( I didn't really have the money so I went slowly), it was gone. As I am an avid collector of beautiful, but essentially useless things, I was crushed.
So 6 months later, I doodled a spiral, which became a coil, and then a print.
The original was so much more beautiful........

This woodblock print was carved on 6 blocks: 5 poplar and 1 redwood and printed on various Japanese Hosho papers (This Artist Proof was on 100% Gampi) using waterbased ink and hand printed using a Murasaki baren. The dimensions are 10"X15".