Pacific Halibut

Artist Statement:

My name is Pearlyn Tan. I am originally from Singapore and live in Portland, OR. My practice is focused on printmaking, painting and occasionally ceramics. I’m exploring the opportunities that arise when combining various mediums and substrates. Personal relationships (with humans, other living things or objects) often become the departure point of my work. I strive to create something unique that evokes joy, a simple beauty and an emotional connection - I hope my work sparks the same sentiments for you. These pieces were made using a printmaking technique called collagraph. Collagraph is a technique from the 19th century. The word collagraphy is derived from the Greek words koll or kolla, which mean glue, and graph which means drawing. And that pretty much sums up the technique: to create a drawing by gluing. During the inking process the ink will rub off surfaces that are smooth or higher and stay on surfaces that hold more ink, at edges and at lower points thus creating the image. A collagraph plate is quite sensitive and will be deformed by the pressure of the printing press, so collagraph editions are typically much fewer in count and more precious compared to other print techniques. The process: The plates were made using mat board, first drawn on and then cut out. I used carborundum powder grit mixed with a medium to achieve the tonal effect and the texture. Aluminum foils were glued on to create highlights and a scalpel was used to cut out parts where I want to hold more ink in order to print darker. Carborundum grit mixture can also be painted on thinly to create painterly shadows. To protect the plate through the printing process it was sealed with several layers of varnish medium. The plate is then printed in intaglio method using soy based intaglio ink. Each print is individually hand wiped, therefore each one is unique. I love the intimacy of this process and getting up close to observe an object. I chose Dungeness crab and Pacific halibut because both are an important part of the PNW’s seafood heritage, an invaluable food source, and super cool sea creatures. -Pearlyn Tan, 2024 Portland, OR