Jim Dine (Printmaking)

American Jim Dine, born 1935, was part of the Pop art movement in the US during the early '60s.  Honestly, I was surprised to learn he was a part of the movement, as none of his art I'd seen prior to this report made me think of the Pop Art style.  I had seen his Tool Box etchings and prints before, which use little to no colour.  Although his paintings featured a vast and vibrant colour palette, I did not immediately link his style to that of Andy Warhol or Roy Lichtenstein.

Tool Box I, from 1966 was one of Dine's first pieces that depicted tools and materials that held a significant relationship to him.  This would feature heavily in his work from here on out.  His work would often depict tools and utensils done using Printwork.  The above piece is a screenprint of the contents of his toolbox as well as other loose ends.  The detail in this work led me to double check this was actually a screenprint.  To achieve this level of detail (having just attempted screenprinting myself) shows a mastery or working on a small intricate scale.  There's a sort of 'instructional guide' feel to these images, which I think really sums up the subject matter.

[No title] 1973 is another part of Dine's interest in his tools and objects.  Strongly of the belief that our items were a link to who we are and our past, he focused heavily on still life images, often only featuring one item like the above.  This was done by Lithograph, a type of etching onto a metal plate.  At first glance, I thought this could be a pencil or charcoal drawing.  The depth of the image really makes the image seem present, in a 3D sense, and I image in person, you could almost feel like you could grab it right off the paper.  The background is equally interesting, adding a texture that feels very cloth like, adding to the belief that this is just a tool lying around.  I really love the simplicity of his subject matter, yet the complexity by which he sets about displaying them.  I feel he really understands his subjects.

I know this sounds repetitive, but as with previous artists I've looked at, seeing this complex works just amazes me at what can truly be achieved with printmaking.  I'm ashamed to admit that when I first approached this subject, I thought it would be a limited medium with little scope.  Jim Dine being the first artist I've looked at to focus on still life, my appreciation for the medium is rapidly expanding.