Minneapolis Institute of Art

Gulls and Spray

Eva Auld Watson

Date

1942

Medium

Color linocut

Department

Arts of the Americas

Institution

Minneapolis Institute of Art

Eva Auld Watson loved printing on linoleum, specifically Armstrong-brand blocks that she glued to stiff board. While many block printers carved planks of wood, Watson loved the uniform color possible with linoleum. Even though Gulls and Spray consists of twelve colors, it was made with only four separate blocks. That’s because Watson used the linoleum like a palette, graduating some colors and introducing entirely new ones all on the same block. She then applied the block to wet paper, finding that the damp fibers made the colors blend further. In the midst of these harmonies reigns disharmony, as these seagulls flee the watery assault on their perch. United States, Americas

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