Graphic Design Linocut Member Printmaking Solo artist

Chrissy Emmerson

posted by Amber Weaver July 5, 2018

Chrissy Emmerson is a printmaker / graphic Designer based in the South West of the UK. She started experimenting with printmaking when she was studying Graphic Design at Falmouth University and since graduating, Emmerson has been working as a designer and content writer. After finding that most of her time was spent on computers, she enjoyed to a certain extent, but there is always the tendency to focus on every detail and make everything perfect. Our human strive for perfection will always be present, however, is it the imperfections that allow something perfect to be recognised?

What Emmerson loves about printmaking is the irregularities, as hard as you may try, no two prints will ever come out identical. It’s the misprints, finger smudges and imperfections in the wood that can spark an idea to creating something else. Emmerson began with working in lino before moving on to wood, and then screenprinting. The medium she uses depends on the subject of the print. Basing the technique she uses on the content ideas in an attempt to have them both compliment one another.

Emmerson like many designers are influenced by nature; for example in the pictured prints, she will usually carve directly on to the wood, letting the wood grain dictate the layout of the image to a certain extent. In addition, Emmerson is also influenced by alternative culture. “I like the idea of using traditional printing techniques to create images that reflect contemporary culture,” says Chrissie.

Currently, she’s working on a project that tries to incorporate the idea of sound and movement into her prints. The first of this series is called ‘The Bassist’, attempting to capture the reverberations of a deep bass line using a loose cutting style and of varying shades of colour.