A catch up with Aidan @Print Wagon

Not only is Aidan a great printmaker, can balance things on his head, knows exactly 3 magic tricks, and has a chainsaw license!

He’s not letting the lock-down stop him from making; taking the wagon set up off-road and in to his garden. You can tune in to his weekend sessions and watch your print made to order!

How have you been spending any downtime at the moment?

I must say I find it hard switching off and really enjoy working on new projects BUT lately I have been teaching myself guitar, whittling, making tin decorations.

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Favourite TV/Film/Book picks?

I am currently reading ‘The Road to Wigan Pier’ , ‘The Kraken Wakes’ and the ‘Dying Gaul’ and I have been loving TV series like Killing Eve (which is gold). 

What do you most love about printing?

When you first see the outcome, that may seem really obvious but there can be so many stages to printmaking and so much work that goes  into it that, when I first see the finished result, the wet ink slightly glistening on the paper I always think ‘IT WORKED!’.

It’s a mixed feeling of relief (no pun intended) elation, pride and euphoria that has wears off by the time you print the second.

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Where do you draw inspiration for your work?

All sorts of places, mainly mythology, folk tales, books I read, and conversations.

Which artists or books inspire you?

Artists:

So so many! I definitely recommend the art of Ben Shahn, Paul Peter Piech, Barbara Jones, Barbara Kruger, Betye Saar, Rei Morimura, Kiyoshi Saito, Seymour Chwast, Charles Schultz, Picasso should get a mention and David Jones. 

Books:

‘The Road to Wigan Pier’ is currently inspiring me as the language is so visually stimulating and emotive. David Jones ‘In Parenthesis’, ‘The Mabinogion’, Roald Dahl ‘Kiss,Kiss’, and Douglas Adams ‘Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy’.

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What advice would you give to someone wanting to start printing at home with no kit?

If you wanted to do Lino, buy Caligo safe wash ink as it’s amazing, it’s cleanable with wet wipes/fairy liquid and produces great outcomes. If you didn’t want to buy actual Lino and cutting tools you can get nice results out of pizza discs and biros, and you can get a nice result hand burnishing or using a second roller.

But I do recommend getting that ink!

Aidan with his Print Wagon set up