Janice McFegan is a printmaker born in 1950 in Vernon, British Columbia. She studied printmaking at Capilano College, where she received at Diploma in Printmaking in 1996, and earlier she pursued design and survey studies at the British Columbia Institute of Technology, Burnaby, in 1976.
Scope and content
The collection consists of ten graphic works produced by the artist after viewing Mark Rothko's 1945 painting "Untitled," including two leaves of handmade paper composed of banana leaf, metal, and carborundum, 25 x 37.5 cm, 1997, three cyanotypes with pastel, 25 x 37.5 cm, 1997, one pastel drawing, 25 x 37.5 cm, 1997, two woodcut proofs, 25 x 37.5 cm, 1997, two Chine Colle woodcut prints (watercolour on Kozo paper, glued onto paper with inked woodcut), 25 x 37.5 cm, 1997, and a manuscript statement by the artist on one page, 20 x 25.5 cm.
Note
The artist observed that: "My submission began after viewing some early Mark Rothko paintings. His "Untitled," 1945, includes what looks like chains and metal parts but also looks organic. I began sketching, then painting cyanotypes using some metal parts and some negatives of metal parts. I put pastel, charcoal and India Ink on one to imprint it. I went on to make some paper from banana leaves and imbedded metal and carborundum into it and groated it with acrylic medium to give it a rubber texture. I also printed a woodcut on the handmade paper and also chine colled a woodcut. This work is just the beginning of this idea. I generally work large so I plan to paint some large canvases, do a large etching and a woodcut or lino cut using this idea. I enjoy working this way, letting the gesture take charge."
