EX LIBRIS/BOOKPLATES

"...for this is the side of art which considers neither appearances of things nor imitation; it is the side which constitutes art in its most modern form." [1] Boston Post, 1949

The Provincetown Print or White-Line Woodcut, as it is also known, is a uniquely American art form. In the early 1900's, Provincetown, Massachusetts, was a place of bustling energy and creativity where the influence of the Japanese woodblock prints, Cubism and Abstract Theory all contributed to the development of a new technique of color wood-block printing.

In the summer of 1915, hundreds of American artists fleeing the advent of World War I flocked to Provincetown. The old seaport was already well-known as an artist's colony. Along with the permanent population of Portuguese fishermen and descendants of 19th Century Yankee whalers, distinguished artists and literary figures populated the town both as residents and summer visitors. The presence of the Portuguese gave the colony a European flavor which made a favorable impression on the artists from abroad. Quaint little buildings once used fifty years earlier by fishermen for storing sails, nets, baskets and equipment were converted into art studios. This was a period and place of palpable creative energy. Artists wearing brightly colored outfits mingled with the somber colors worn by the natives. Many of the artists' smocks and costumes, decorated in batik, wool and embroidery, were made out of hand-woven materials showing peasant influences. These contrasted sharply with the blues of the Navy and the heavy oilskin and rubber leggings of the dark-skinned Portuguese fishermen.

It was during this time that the Provincetown Print was born. A group of artists, including Ethel Mars, Maude Squire, Mildred McMillen, Ada Gilmore, J. O. Nordfeldt and Juliette Nichols (later calling themselves the Provincetown Printers) found apartments and houses near each other and settled down for the long Cape Cod winter to work solely on designing prints in the traditional Japanese manner. Ethel Mars and J. O. Nordfelt experimented with new ideas. Mars broke away from the traditional motif of flowers and instead designed pictures of Paris cafes and street life. Nordfeldt, tired of the laborious process of cutting so many blocks of wood (as many as ten per print), took a single block and cut a "v" groove in the wood between the forms which showed up as a white line on the completed print. This is why the Provincetown Print is also known as the White-Line Woodcut.

Experimentation has been a part of this printmaking process since its inception influenced by the Japanese woodblock as well as Cubism and Abstract Theory. The White-Line Woodcut used less of the Japanese art spirit and focused on the technique in cutting wood.

The traditional procedure for the Japanese woodblock calls for the artist's sketch to be cut in its entirety on a longitudinal section of Cherry or Basswood, the woods most generally used. In order to ensure accurate registration, prints of the key block are pasted upon other blocks.

Areas requiring specific colors are left untouched while the rest are carved out with knives, gouges or chisels. After watercolor or ink is applied to the remaining portions, paper is placed upon successive blocks and the image is transferred by means of a press or circular pad.

Cubism also influenced the Provincetown Print. That theory held that the artist's conception of a subject was more real than its appearance and, therefore, could be constructed from aspects seen at different times and from different viewpoints. Sometime during the year 1923-1924, Blanche Lazzell (who later joined the Provincetown Printers and became a major artist in this field) studied in France with Andre L'Hote, Fernand Leger, and Albert Gleizes, one of the chief exponents of Cubism. Her works took on more abstraction under the influence of her teachers. She noted that, "Cubism...is the organization of flat planes of color, with an interplay of space, instead of perspective...the aim of which is to express volume and strength by the use of geometric forms." [2]

The freedom of expression that characterizes Abstract Painting was considered part of the charm of the print. The theory behind Abstract Expressionism was that it placed value on the individual creative act. A quote taken from Blanche Lazzell's writings from the 1930's supports the importance given to creative freedom. "Originality, Simplicity, Freedom of Expression, and above all Sincerity, with a clean cut block, are characteristic of a good wood block print." [3]

The technique used to make a Provincetown Print is a lengthy process. Although only one block of wood is used, the design and color scheme must be simplified in order to create the perfect print. After carving out the design using a tool that cuts a v-shaped wedge, one shape at a time is covered with watercolor. The use of watercolor instead of ink gives the print a translucence incorporating the grain of wood into the design. There is a great variety of color possible which makes the White-Line Woodcut more of an original work of art than most prints. The same design takes on a different character with each subsequent printing. Each print from the block is an individual work even though the same color scheme may be used. Using opaque watercolor changes the character even more by eliminating the translucent nature and obliterating the grain of wood.

There are many factors that contribute to the uniqueness of the Provincetown Print. Color, design and genre subjects create a distinctive print, while the spirit of the subject is conveyed through strong patterns and pleasing colors. Realistic objects and abstract forms can be united in a single piece. The satisfactory reproduction depends upon a pleasing composition, clarity of form, and good color. It takes discipline to arrange both shape and color into a positive whole out of the resistant medium of wood.

The creative energy that permeated Provincetown, Massachusetts, along with the influence of the Japanese woodblock print and the theories of Cubism and Abstract Expressionism led to the development of the Provincetown Print, a truly unique American art form.

THE PROVINCETOWN PRINT ONE STEP FURTHER

Artist and Ex Libris deigner Reva Kern uses the Provincetown Print as the foundation for her completed prints using a hand press. The woodblock is cut in the Provincetown manner and is painted with watercolor containing carbon. After the image has dried, it is transferred to a screen. A separate screen is made for each color using a key for accurate registration in the color separation process. Ink is then hand pressed through the screen to print the image. The accompanying Ex Libris of The Harlequin is an example of this technique [4].

©1999, Reva Kern

Notes: [1] Clarkson, John, Blanche Lazzell, Provincetown Cape Cod Pilgrim Memorial Association, 1989, pg. 15. Top

[2] Ibid., pg. 10.Top

[3] Ibid., pg. 8. Top

[4] A signed original copy of the Harlequin Ex Libris was tipped-in to each issue containing this article, on Page 17 . Top

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Posted: 28 January 1999; Last updated: 29 January 1999