The NO EVIL print series came out of a self-initiated, mini lockdown residency in my home studio.

Now available on florenceblanchard.bigcartel.com

Screen printing is such a time consuming process, with the set up taking up the majority of the time. You can easily spend several hours preparing your screens, paper and print bed only to find that once you start printing, something has gone wrong and you have to start allover again. Because of this, it is often tempting to stick with what you know and stop looking for new directions with your work.

I wanted to take advantage of the fact the world has slowed down for a moment and use this newly acquired time to explore different screen printing techniques and push my studio practice to the next level. For the past tree weeks I have allowed myself to make mistakes and to take as much time as I needed to troubleshoot and find solutions. The experience has been enjoyable and rewarding. MIZARU, KIKAZARU and IWAZARU are the three print editions to come out of this self isolation / exploration and I am trilled with the end result.

The titles refer to the three wise monkeys; a Japanese pictorial maxim embodying the proverbial principle “See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil”. There are various meanings ascribed to the monkeys and the proverb, including associations with being of good mind, speech and action. In Buddhist tradition, the tenets of the proverb are about not dwelling on evil thoughts but represent a great motto, which can be enhanced by creative practice. Immersing myself in this challenging project has provided a great outlet to escape the pandemic madness for the time being and I’m delighted to now share these with you.

MIZARU

KIKAZARU

IWAZARU