© Emily Koehler
I work primarily with color-reduction woodcuts printed with oil-based ink on Rives BFK paper. All blocks and plates are carved and/or built by me. I also hand-ink and pull all of my prints. I do not create any reproductions of my work and my editions typically number 16 prints or less. Color-reduction woodcuts involve carving and printing the same woodblock in sequence for each layer of color on the print. This process is also called a “suicide print” because the block is destroyed through the action of successive carvings thus rendering the edition finite. I occasionally incorporate collagraph between the layers of my woodcuts to add textural elements. Collagraph is a process where I create a low-relief collage on a printing plate using materials that can be safely run through a press (plants, sand, gesso, etc.). I print collagraph plates in an intaglio method, where ink is wiped into the crevices of the collage and off the surface and then printed, transferring the ink and texture to the print.
In every print ever made, there is a history of process, a story told in wood and ink, paper and pressure. These mechanisms of printmaking guide my hand, while my heart is inspired by the wonder of nature. The marrying of these two passions has informed my art as I seek to explore the intersection of humanity and nature in a world where nothing is untouched by man or womankind.
Artist Bio
Emily Gray Koehler has spent over fifteen years developing her expertise in printmaking while delving artistically into themes of nature and the environment. Working out of her studio in NE Minneapolis, she holds a B.F.A. in printmaking and has art in public and private collections throughout the United States and in Europe.