Attachment_A_Description_of_Woodcut_Technique_and_Lighting.pdf

50CAWO Carter G. Woodson Home National Historic Site | Phase II | PDI: Book 2 CONTENT | October 30, 2020

Woodson Portrait (see also Drawing Package)

CE-02.01-001

Intent, purpose and message

This signature portrait, scaled to a commanding size of approximately 5’x 8’ on a nominally 8’ x 8’ background, provides an iconic view of Dr. Woodson that will memorably communicate the scholar’s pride, character, and drive. As an element visitors will see before embarking on interpretation tracing Dr. Woodson’s life, this piece will help establish the powerful vision that drove Woodson to the height of his achievements. This piece is intended to become a touchstone of the National Historic Site, while also offering visitors an opportunity for selfies that connect them with this towering icon, the definition of his visage being created by a grazing light accentuating the tactility of the “woodblock” printing process. To be clear, this "woodblock sculpture" is intended to be touched and reveals its mage thru intentionally raking light to create shadowed areas.

Commissioned Sculpture :

H+R will provide the artist reference files with scale dimensioning necessary to render a portrait in keeping with the pen-and-ink illustration from the February 1980 Washington Sun (ID398) into a subtly dimensional tactile portrait that appears to emerge directly out of the wall, which in this case is being "clad" with the artist's wood sculpture. The linework of the illustration will be translated into voids, V-cut out of the base sheet material, thought to be 2 layers of 3/4” AA plywood or MDF laminated into a nominally overall 1.5” thick panel. In either case, the wood species or manufactured wood sheet material should impart a uniformly light wood grain appearance devoid of knots or other discolorations, approximating the look and tone of the honeycomb pattern to the lower right.* The aim is what might loosely be called a negative woodblock that echoes and complements the style of art created by James Lesesne Wells for Woodson’s Associated Publishers’ journals and bulletins in the 1930’s. The design proposes this “woodblock” remain “un-inked” so that Woodson’s visage emerges through the texture, shadow, and form of the material into which is it routed, not by added color or ink. As stated with the woodblock samples to the right, the face of material most forward toward the visitor will provide the highlights, while the lines and hatching notched into that surface with render the shadows. All of the background around his head and shoulders will be “handstroked back” to provide a deeper texture helping to feature the face and shape of the head. The entire final artwork will be illuminated with grazing light from the track above to create all shadow definition. Sketches of the overall artwork will be submitted in stages from rough sketches to approved final art. Anominally 24” square portion of the brow, eyes, nose and a bit of background is required for client and designer approval prior to the artist carving the full piece. Note that the final panel will be installed by the exhibit fabricator using hidden fasteners (flush mounts or equal).

* The selected artist will be able to present options as to the material he/she would prefer to use to produce what will amount to a seamless, nom. 8' x 8' panel. NPS and the designer are open to discussion of what material best suits their technique and their experience has proved to be the best combination that provides sculptural worability and durabilty (free from warpage and from being easily scratched or damaged from visitors repeated touch). It is assumed that the final material selected will require a minimum of 2 coats of satin clear coat, also applied by the exhibit fabricator, to prevent the build-up of "oils" and to allow for NPS to sanitize the surface on a routine basis.

Custom Element Reference Package

ID398: Washington Sun artwork, reference for signature portrait, to be vectorized by H+R and provided to fabricator

Sample woodblock forms

Woodson’s visage as woodblock itself (not woodblock print)

Un-inked woodblock allows material and form to create the visual through raked lighting, not “ink”.

ID398.2: Portrait on which the Washington Sun artwork is likely to have been based

For this artwork, the highlights are the wall surface, and the shadows are v-cut into it, the deeper and wider the cut, the darker. The background surrounding the head will be carved away with “handstrokes” resembling the background surrounding the book at lower left or areas within the honey combs below. The whole wall will be the light wood cast in grazing lighting to pull out shadow definition of the face. Put simply what is raised reads highlight, and what is carved is shadow, so the opposite of a typical woodblock intended to be printed.

Background would be carved away handstrokes

Attachment_A_Description of Woodcut Technique and Lighting