Image size 300mm x 295mm
A four colour lino reduction print in a limited edition of 12
It seems that my starting points have often been linked to the history of film or theatre, music or dance. This started as a portrait but appears to have skidded into somewhat darker waters.
The central figure is Viola Turpeinen (1909-1958) and is based on a found photograph. Viola was a Finnish-American accordionist who made over 90 recordings between the mid-twenties and late forties and toured widely from her home in New York City. Her band played the thriving dance hall circuits of the East and mixed a high energy repertoire of polkas, waltzes, foxtrots and tangos with other American popular music of the time. Such was her success and influence, she became known as The Accordion Princess. Sadly, shortly after retiring, Viola died at the age of 49.
The bowler hatted stranger reflected in the mirror, together with the melting piano, are a little more difficult to explain. Could it be related to the fact that that Viola lived through the period of the invention and development of Surrealism?
I use traditional relief printing methodsThe edition is printed on Fabriano Artistico paper at the BIP fine art print studios in Kemp Town Brighton. The Columbian printing press used for the work dates back to the 1840s. Reduction printing progressively destroys the original plate so that the number of images in any edition is limited by the initial print run of the first colour.