Artist's Statement


Artist's Statement: Dave Glentz Brush
	I have been a printmaker for over fifteen years. A native of Connecticut, I lived for ten years in the midwest before settling here in Vermont. While living in Kansas City Missouri, I studied printmaking and received a Bachelors of Fine art in Printmaking from the Kansas City Art Institute. For me, printmaking holds the most intrigue of the many forms of visual art. I am very drawn to the communicative aspect inherent in this medium. The notion that one can share ideas or views of our world to an untold number of people through multiple images is fascinating. I am well versed in all the traditional print techniques, but relief printing inspires my imagination. At heart, relief printing is one of the simplest methods of printing and yet it offers possibility for technical refinement. I utilize mainly wood and linoleum blocks, with wood being the most compelling to me. I enjoy all aspects of the process from the initial sketch to the pulling of the print, but carving images is perhaps the most gratifying step. Carving is a very interactive process. I have come to understand how different materials respond to the carving tools and to the application of ink, yet each block will have its own qualities so every one is a “new” experience. While it is quite possible to force the carving materials to submit to a very controlled outcome, I find it more satisfying to allow the material itself to “decide” some of the outcomes. Mine is very much a fluid approach. I also enjoy the mindfulness carving allows me. It is one time that I feel fully present and aware, focusing only on the blade as it follows this line, then that. I utilize a variety of Japanese carving tools, but my main tool is the komasuki (pronounced Ko-ma-skay) a U shaped gouge, especially my smallest (1 mm) one. This tool allows me to “draw” in the wood as I would with a pencil on the wood, only the lines are three dimensional. My carving style and drawing style are analogous. There is a kinetic quality to the line work. By nature all things are impermanent, nothing is static. Contours change and perspectives shift continually. I try to evoke this movement in my drawing and carving. I am also very interested in the impression of depth and I utilize layers of color and transparency to create this effect. I am influenced by the named and unnamed carvers of Japanese woodblock prints (Hanga) as well as more contemporary western printers, such as Leonard Baskin and Antonio Frasconi. I also find the drawings of sculptor Alberto Giacometti very inspiring Upon moving to Vermont in the summer of two thousand two, I came to understand quickly why there are so many artists and craftspeople here. The beauty surrounding us everywhere is constantly refreshing and inspiring. Moving here made an impact on my work as I “rediscovered” the natural world. I was reinvigorated after living so long in a metropolitan area. I am very thankful to be in such a wonderful place and look forward to many productive years to come.

	Xylografi Press P.O. Box 305 St. Johnsbury, VT. 05819