Whilst randomly searching for linocuts on the internet I have come across some very nice images which I thought would make an inspiring post on the theme of masks. There seems to be some kind of handed-down tradition which I suppose derives from making masks by carving wood, which obviously happened and still happens in many different cultures. So here you go…

Bill Fick

Bill Fick is from the USA. He lives in North Carolina and teaches at Duke University. He co-wrote an excellent book on printmaking called Printmaking: A complete guide to materials and process which I recently reviewed for Printmaking Today magazine. These linocuts are from Fick’s ‘Terrorist Series” which explores issues of suspicion and distrust in relation to masks.

Deborah Klein

Deborah Klein is an Australian artist who makes paintings, drawings and prints, books and the odd piece on fabric. Her works have a dreamlike quality, combining animals and objects with faces of women. See her work here: http://www.deborahklein.net/

David Berube

David Berube lives and works in NYC. He created these images to be used as masks for the 3rd of the trilogy of short films he worked on with choreographer Scott Rink. The images were eventually printed on to fabric and hand-stitched together with a back and top “hairpiece”, also linocuts. The masks were then worn by the ballerinas dancing to Scott’s version of Swan Lake.

More of his work, including some very nice linocuts and photos of works in progress, can be seen at http://davidberube.blogspot.com/

Wuon Gean Ho

Wuon Gean Ho has been working on the theme of masks for several years, the images originating in linocuts and being developed into screenprints. More recently she has been working on an amazing animation of a rotating mask head, each still being a print in itself. See the animation here.