Untitled Abstraction

Edmond Casarella

Ed Casarella moved easily between sculpture and printmaking and many of his prints show a sculptor's sensibility, creating the illusion of a third dimension on a sheet of paper. Because of his interest in a third dimension he was an early innovator with the collagraph, objects and shapes that are collaged onto the surface of a plate and then inked and printed, usually relief and intaglio.

This untitled abstraction was created by inking (or not inking) shapes that are cut out of various materials and then laying these inked elements on a plate, without attaching them to the plate. A sheet of paper covers the plate and is run through the press. The result is a monotype, since each element would have to be removed and re-inked and to replace them exactly is nearly impossible.

Casarella would also glue these elements to the plate and then ink them, creating a "collagraph" which was easier to edition.