The Matrix — The Diary of a Clay Monoprint Artist

January 4, 2023 Andrew Smith

The clay monoprint artist designs their work on a slab of clay known as the matrix, shown here.

I'm a visual artist creating clay monoprints — a unique art form where prints are made but using colored clay rather than ink or paints. The clay designs are "pulled" (transferred) to the material with a very thin layer of clay adhering.

The workspace is a clay slab (the matrix) upon which the artwork is designed using clay slips — clay with water added to create a workable thickness generally slightly thicker than house paint. Finally, pigment is added to make the color the artist is looking for.

The clay monoprint artist can paint the design directly onto the matrix, or as an alternative, onto blank newsprint paper. Then, after drying slightly, the newsprint is placed upside on the matrix, and pressure is applied to transfer it to the matrix. You can learn more in a previous article available here.

When the artist is happy with the print, the material for the artwork (Pellon, Reemay, etc.) is placed on the matrix, and pressure is utilized to transfer some of the clay slip to create the artwork. After "pulling" (transferring) a print, some of the clay slip and its design stay behind on the matrix.

Rather than starting anew, the following work is designed on top of the previous; when prints are pulled, old design elements (or small pieces) will randomly appear on the print pulled. Thus, while artists greatly influence clay monoprints, they never have complete control. This is why a large portion of these works are abstract in nature.

Each new print leaves a very thin layer of each design on the clay matrix, creating a diary of the artists' works — that will share literal memories moving forward.

Shown are several common tools of the clay monoprint artist.

Items shown:

1) Clay slip with yellow pigment added.
2) Dried clay chips can be used on the matrix for small detail.
3) Painter's tape used for creating on-the-spot stencils.
4) Pastry roller used to apply pressure when pulling a print.

Look for future clay monoprints here:

https://www.visualrealia.com
https://www.instagram.com/visualrealia
https://www.facebook.com/VisualRealiaStudio