Research screen printing and brass rubbings

I booked a slot in the print room to screen print the geometric drawing form the Erewash museum this was more of an exercise to generate ideas and as a  way to learn more about the process. I cut out sections of the drawing to create some blank space to make it fell less crowded so you can focus on the main sections. Then I just played with was layering different colours ways - still in keeping with the original- I wanted to keep it fun and light hearted not really overthinking about what I was doing. 

       

I also did some sketches in response to the drawing- they're a bit messy but I liked the luminosity of the colours as they come through the mist of the charcoal and the energy of the lines 

        

There was a information board that talked about St Mathews church  in Morley that had original monumental brasses- I found them in a brass rubbing book- the first image depicts Sir H Sacheverell and wife dated 1558 and the second image is of H Stathum and his three wives dated 1481- it was the Stathum family that built the church. 

                  

I did some research into monumental brasses and brass rubbings 

Monumental Brasses are engraved metal plates found in many churches across Europe- some are set into stone floors marking burial places - mainly dated from 13th - 16th century - they are memorials usually depicting an effigies of the  deceased. Brass rubbings are the reproductions of monumental brass - paper is but over the brass and wax crayon or heel ball wax is used to take an impression of the surface to make a negative.  during the 19th century there was a revival in medieval and  Brass rubbing became popular pass time - with many people embarking on church crawls- as they provide a window into the past - they document the changes in fashion, document family ties and the passage of power and status in a visual way. 

The process of taking a brass rubbing is very physical- you feel more personally connected to the symbol of history - confronted up close with the incredibly detailed craftmanship - rubbings bring a sense of touch back to collecting information - engaging with history in a different kind of way that feels more connected to the people. 

'Luckily, hundreds survive to connect us with our distant forebears, works of high art that deserve too much respect even to think of rubbing them'.- quote from this blog https://www.theoldie.co.uk/blog/what-was-brass-rubbing Ilike the author's passion and commanding respect- but there is something human in touching- want to take back a souvenir of what we see - when we look and feel connected to the past- and we think about the people who lie underneath, the people who crafted these monuments, there's something so impressive about them - that throughout time people want to be remembered. Its insane to not want to touch- to not want to literally feel where people have touched for centuries especially when they're within reach.

This is what I would like to keep in mind when making my work.