Daniela Puliti: Printmaking

Title: Soul Searcher
© Daniela Puliti, 2009
Limited Edition Woodcut Print
12in. X 8in.

This woodcut image, titled Soul Searcher, is part of an on-going exploration of faith, religion, independence, and strength. In recent years, I have been struggling with my personal relationship with morality and faith, it's incongruence to a single organized religion, and the adversity met in defending my beliefs. This journey is one that has left me standing alone on many occasions, but I believe this journey is better ventured alone. This summer my journey led me to Europe. The overabundance of religious artwork and heavily adorned cathedrals inspired me to translate my new found faith into my own art.

Soul Searcher is an image of a girl with a somber expression. She feels worn down by the opposition imposed by the world around her. Yet, she remains faithful. Her aura is still shining brightly against the darkness. The medium of the woodcut aided in exhibiting the desire she has for her faith. As I carved strong jabs into the hard wood to create the beams of light emanating from her aura, I also felt the struggle of hardship this girl feels. The neck morphs into a tangled ribbon trailing off into the distance representative of the tethered cord she has to a realm of existence that feels less than home for her.

The goal in much of my work is to make the viewer feel something regardless of it's relevance to my personal faith or any one specified religion. The girl is nameless and her story unspecified as to invite the viewer to impose their own set of beliefs onto her.

Title: States of Aggravation
© Daniela Puliti, 2009
Limited Edition Woodcut Print, Two Block Color Separation
12 in. X 8 in.

This woodcut image entitled States of Aggravation is based on three states of aggravation I have recently confronted. Initially, this woodcut was done out of the frustration of being creatively subdued. I had taken for granted this summer the creative liberty I had to make what I like to refer to as "my art". This is in contrast to the current state I am in, within the walls of a university, creating "their art", art that has been tailored to the given professor's liking.

My image is of a person screaming out of frustration and anger. The echoes of the bottom lip and the sharp jagged bolts emanating from the mouth suggest an audible cry. In the second state of this woodcut, I freed myself to add more cuts, which acted as a therapeutic release of aggression. This anger was displaced onto the wood adding a level of sincerity to the piece.

The second state of aggravation is a bit of a play on words. It is in reference to my return to The United States after being in Europe for three months. My political views may seem irrelevant to others, suffice it to say I do not feel as hopeful for this country as I once did. The colors reflect this sentiment; the red, white, and blue for our nation's colors and the purple is meant to be interpreted as dark and foreboding.

The third state of aggravation was the process of making this woodcut image. This image was printed with two matrices, one inked with blue and the other inked with red. The overlapping areas were to result in purple, but I was met with an unanticipated defiance when the ink consistencies did not blend correctly.

This woodcut image is in compliance with my ongoing exploration of human emotion. I again created a mostly nondescript figure in the efforts to have the viewer superimpose their beliefs upon it. This image is about aggravation. I have supplied examples of my aggravation, but the viewer is free to adorn it with their own states of aggravation.

This woodcut image, titled Toying With Ideas of Faith, continues my exploration of faith, religion, and independence. I find myself continually weighing the pros and cons of organized religion and, as a result reevaluating my own faith.

The image is of a marionette cut from it's strings that are still attached to a wooden cross. The image is meant to provoke the viewer into questioning if the marionette is reaching towards the cross, or pulling away from it. Has it's desire for faith left it so eager that it's arm is detached in ecstasy? Or is this marionette jaded, ready to cut it's strings, and is broken with disappointment? The strings can play a role as a support structure for the marionette, but it could also tangle just as easily. I believe there is a good argument for both sides of the spectrum, but ultimately the truth is within the viewer.

The directionality of the woodcuts follow the form of the figure. The rough cuts give the viewer awareness of the materials. The image was cut into wood, thus the marionette is made out of wood, much as it would be if it were a three-dimensional object. The cuts also follow the directionality of the cross. Though this was carved using mdf, the cut marks give the appearance of a finer wood grain.

This print was created from a single block, printed at three states of it's carving. This process called a "reduction woodcut" or "lost block printing" requires a certain amount of courage. Once moved on to the next stage of cutting, there is no going back to previous states. It requires a great deal of trust and faith in one's self, making the image's subject all the more apt.

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