Printmaker - Michael Rothenstien

Since studying printmaking I have been looking at the work of Michael Rothenstien who is a British printmaker, born in 1908 and died 1993.

I find many of his prints interesting and exciting to look at, but I have picked one which is called ‘Giant Cockerel’. This print was made in 1987. The medium used is a woodcut, and the print size is 60.5 x 85 cm. The reason I chose this particular print is because I love how colourful and lively it is. I feel the four colours he has used work well together which creates an eye catching print. You can tell by looking through his work he is not afraid to experiment with new ideas - which I love! Also, the way Rothenstien has cut the print allows the details of feathers to be seen which works extremely well. His expressive prints remind me of the linocuts done by Mark Hearld (especially the prints which include birds and animals such as this one).

I loved finding out about Michael Rothenstien’s work - I find his abstract prints inspiring. When looking through his work I notice each print is diverse and expressive. I will definitely continue to find out more about his work; I think his bold use of colour and his interesting design compositions are a good inspiration for me during my printmaking unit.