Douglas Kessler BFA Printmaking Thesis Spring 2015

The Paper Mirror: Posters in the World

Prior to this thesis, my work focused on developing imagery suitable for prints. My criteria were simple – images should at least begin as hand-drawn originals, that they should have a strong graphical sense, and a pronounced optical simplicity.

For a while, a desire to move beyond simple retinal excitement into more complexity prompted me to experiment with the addition of phrases and words. Using the format of the poster, I explored how images can be re-framed, offset, and re-centered with text. I found this inquiry required a level of intent that ran contrary to a practice that relies much on chance and the happy accidents of creative chaos. So I stopped.

The images you see here are reflections of image and process, only. If there is a subtext, it’s that there are things to see that refer only to themselves, make no promises, and ask for nothing in return.

93 albums

Spring 2015