Susan Wright has been a printmaker for several years, working from a studio at the Artworks in Halifax. As well as being a member of West Yorkshire Print workshop, she is also a member of Hot Bed Press in Salford where she has completed three years of the ‘Complete Printmaker ‘course.
Susan’s work is primarily etched, but she frequently combines other printmaking techniques such as monoprint, collagraph and most recently, woodcut. Her roots lie in the varied landscapes of West Yorkshire, which influence her exploration of drawing and mark making. She incorporates these mark making strategies in her work, which focuses on using discarded and weathered objects found in the landscape.
The printed works also explore how through a process of transformation and the erosion of printing plates, new narratives and meanings can be revealed from the damaged objects. This shows both the frailty and insubstantial nature of objects and prints and in turn reflect the frailty of the world around them.
“After discovering some discarded wood locally, these woodcut prints were created as part of a series of prints using found wood. By using the grain and marks on the wood, a unique view of the local West Yorkshire hills and sky is revealed.
The hills, perfect for rearing sheep, the moorlands and the valleys filling with rain, creating perfect conditions for the craft of weaving and spinning. This became the source for woollen spinning and weaving in homes across this unique landscape and led to the source of the industrial revolution and the rise of mills, leading the population down from the hills to work in the weaving sheds . Now the mills have declined, the people have moved on but the hills and valleys remain, constant and steady.”
