Spare a thought for the turkey, soon to be the focal point of dinner tables all across the land. In this Michael Rothenstein print - Turkey and Farm Machine - it’s easy to imagine that this lively bird is defying its fate, steaming its way down the path on its get-away ride. But what really drives the composition of this linocut is the way turkey + machine have been, well, carved. Though the colours are relatively muted, the surface is alive with a variety of texture and line, indicative of the innovation and freedom with which Rothenstein approached his printmaking.
The sequel to this ‘great escape’ - Turkey and Farm Machine II - was a great success...
It was awarded first prize in the 1954 Giles Bequest Competition for relief printing in colour, run through the Victoria & Albert museum to encourage experimentation in colour printing.
Rothenstein was certainly not afraid of mixing techniques, treating the picture like collage by making stencils out of corrugated cardboard and (ironically for our fleeing turkey) crumpled greaseproof paper...
*DJ8FYAF6YT5D - this gobbledegook is a sign to a blog directory which we hope to be added to shortly.*
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