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Watercolour, brush and black ink on paper
The Art Gallery of Ontario has another small gem of a show. It is barely visible, taking up only one room. This small exhibition is titled, "Frans Masereel: The Pulse of Paris." Masereel was a Belgian print maker from the turn of the 20th century, and lived into his eighties still producing his prints. He lived most of his adult life in France - in Paris, then later in the south of France.
The AGO exhibition shows two techniques that Masereel perfected. One is woodcuts and etchings where Masereel carves intricate and delicate lines, which he then prints in stark black ink onto white paper. Some of these images are part of his collection of "wordless" graphic novels.
He also did giant pieces of black permanent ink with watercolor washes. This technique is less involved than the woodcuts, yet it still demands a sure hand which is not afraid to guide (and drag) the permanent ink to make the indelible images.
The effects are uncanny. One set of images (the woodcut prints) are controlled and elaborate, while the ink and watercolor washes appear more spontaneous and free. Still, the signature of the artist is apparent in all the works.
