The monotype is a unique form of printmaking, in which the artist creates an image on a smooth, non-absorbent surface with either water or oil based mediums, and transfers that image onto paper by running both through a printing press. Unlike most types of printmaking, the monotype is a one-off operation; as most of the medium is removed in the initial print, no multiple editions are possible. This makes each monotype a unique, one-of-a-kind piece of art.
Jessica Augier "Nimbus" "Stratus"
monotype 4" x 6" 2015
This quality of the monotype as a precious object is nowhere more evident than in the work of Jessica Augier's. Each of her small, circular compositions, petri dish-like, invite the viewer in to have a closer look. There is an intimacy in this, the initial draw of the piece, jewel-like on the wall from a distance, that upon closer inspection reveals an entire chromatic landscape and skyscape that rolls back in space over seas and mountains. Through chromatic shifts, subtractive highlights, and a range of textural illusion, Augier creates small, inhabitable spaces for the viewer to inhabit.
Jessica Augier "Jadeal" "Garnet Storm"
monotype 4" x 6" 2015
At the opening reception of "A Moveable Feast," once visitor was overheard describing them as poems. Like a poem, they are short but focused investigation, simultaneously composed and improvised, an offering of something sublime that transforms the viewer into a visitor.