Clouds forming in the skies and on the press…

Throughout the spring Mike Sweeney has been weaving clouds.  Any one of these works can span up to about 5 feet, and like the clouds in the sky include a multitude of shapes.

The images transferred to the clouds are all drawn and then scratched into a drypoint plate for printing. They are meant to connect with a variety of ways of seeing the world.  The images all come from drawings – some from direct observation and traditional drawing forms, while others are adapted from cell phone snapshots.  Some of the subjects are very processed and posed, while others keep their more casual, spontaneous postures. This variation across the works is intentional since Mike believes there is no one way of viewing or approaching understanding that is always effective.  

______________

“We see in multitudes and if done consciously this diverse capacity is a great strength.”  - Mike Sweeney, 2024

______________

While real clouds were sweeping into Connecticut on June 14th, Mike visited Milestone Graphics Fine Prints where he spent several hours working with Tamarind master printer Irene Michnicki to print images into his large-scale woven clouds. This is no easy task - even with Irene’s grand scale press. Printing drypoint plates as one-of-a-kind monoprints can be tricky to communicate about and collaborative processes always yield shifts in thought, in physical approaches, and in imagery and material presence. The process pointed to a need for additional layers of printing.

Mike and Irene are already discussing a return visit in July that will be focused on an additional patterned block print layer to the clouds in this group of large-scale works. Thanks for all your expertise and input Irene.

This work is in preparation for his exhibit “Pieces of Sky” with the Artist in Rotation series at Proptogroup. Expected to open on September 28th, Mike is delighted to be working with curator Mena Henry to present his printed clouds and related prints on handwoven paper.