Lee Richards

South Wales based printmaker who looks at capturing each trees unique identity using relief prints.

Q&A

Artist Statement

This body of work is a juxtaposition between Japanese aesthetics/ practices and defamiliarization with parallelism by transferring the usual perception of an object into the sphere of new perception. When perception becomes habitual, it becomes unconsciously automatic. Sequentially from this idea, to make the viewer see the art in a different perspective, I take the familiar object and create a contrast by using different techniques related to printmaking. The effect of such techniques is to initiate curiosity and elicit the sense of being engulfed by what the viewer is spectating, resulting in an experience of being hypnotised by what they do not see when being surrounded by the familiar.

What craft do you work with?

I create a relief prints from various different types of tree stumps. It originally started as project based on experimentation during my Ma studies but now has evolved into a full practice.

What inspires you to work with this craft?

The variation and different marks and patterns that each print captures and how it brings attention to what people rarely see.

How do you start your creative process?

I first find a tree stump that captures my interest and then begin a process of sanding, burning, cleaning, sealing and finally printing.

How would you best describe your workspace and what tools could you not do without?

The best advice I can give is to be patient while experimenting and always be open to exploring new things that can help improve your work.