Mel Kendrick

Mel Kendrick (b. 1949) is an American artist known primarily for his sculptural work in wood, bronze, rubber, paper and cast concrete. Many sculptors make prints and Mel Kendrick calls his prints "drawings in wood." He stays close to the materials and tools of sculpture, drawing with a saw to create a two dimensional image.

7 Locks, 6 Locks 

In these immense prints for Graphicstudio, Kendrick uses the most basic of all printmaking techniques, the direct relief print in wood. At a lumberyard, he chose raw sheets of plywood whose natural patterns and textures attracted him. In the studio, with a circular saw, he cut out shapes and inserted different kinds of wood. Ink was applied to the entire surface with rollers, and then large sheets of translucent but very durable Japanese paper were placed over it. The printing was accomplished by hand, by printers painstakingly rubbing the back of the print to press the ink into its surface. With this method, every distinctive marking of the wood, every nuance of the printer's movement, every accident of the making of the block and of the printing, is made visible.

 

Further Resources

Artist's Site: melkendrick.com

Printmaking + Sculpture Terms

Printmaking Glossary

Sculpture Glossary

Sales

For sales, or more information about an edition, please contact Graphicstudio at (813) 974-3503 or gsoffice@usf.edu.

Copyright + Reproduction

Images of the artwork are jointly owned by the artist and Graphicstudio. Reproduction of any kind including electronic media must be expressly approved by Graphicstudio.