Linocuts have been a part of Sebastian Speckmann’s artistic practice for almost two decades now. “What may seem like a restriction to many is a space of great freedom for me,” says the printmaker. It is precisely the irreversibility of the material that fascinates him: A cut is final – no going back, no touching up. He describes; “This clarity in the process gives me a creative determination that I have never found in painting. There the picture always remained open to me, changeable, never really finished.”
Sebastian’s artistic path began at the Academy of Visual Arts in Leipzig, where he studied painting and graphic art until 2011. In 2008, he also spent some time at the Royal Academy. Inspiration for his work is found in many places: in photographs, in old illustrated books, in his own sketches – but often also in a feeling. “Sometimes it is a memory of a situation I have experienced, sometimes an idea of something that is yet to come. This feeling is the starting point, the new sheet the stage,” explains Sebastian.
The concept of questioning and the creation of enigma are evident within his works. “I love the mysterious that cannot be fully deciphered. This inscrutability must remain tangible for me in every work – it keeps my tension alive while working on the motif,” says Sebastian. Another influence is the fine wood engravings of the 19th century, for which he has great admiration. The collage novels of Max Ernst are also a key inspiration for Sebastian’s process; “I develop new pictorial worlds from fragments of historical engravings, which I then realise in linocuts or use as large-format wallpaper works for exhibitions – often as a narrative background for my framed prints.”
Telling us more about his printing process, Sebastian states; “During the cutting process, the tool becomes a kind of ‘dimmer’ for me. I use points and lines to create light – setting accents, lighting up scenes or plunging them into darkness.” This process is slow, concentrated, and requires patience. As part of this, many intermediate prints are created, which he often hangs on the wall, ready to be observed and scrutinised. Every cut is a step that needs to be carefully considered.
Currently, Sebastian’s main focus is on large-format linocuts in small editions. In addition, he also produces smaller series in larger quantities. At present, he is experimenting with laser engraving machines and looking for new ways to combine this traditional medium with contemporary technology. “For me, the linocut is not a closed chapter, but an open field full of possibilities,” concludes the artist.
sebastianspeckmann.de
@sebastianspeckmann
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