I was inspired by the act of dropping a bundle of rope. When dropped, it takes on a highly unpredictable shape that is different every single time. I wanted to capture this form, which led to the idea of screen printing it. My reasoning was that a fallen bundle of rope still contains depth where the strands overlap. However, by screen printing it, that depth is completely removed, leaving only a flat 2D shape. I found this an interesting concept to explore.

I used a screen I had left over from my "plus project" in year one. It’s a hand-stretched screen with a wooden frame. I chose this frame because it’s larger than my own screens and those available at the Publication Station. First, I had to clean the frame because it still had the print from my previous project on it. Next, I coated the screen with emulsion and let it dry. When it was time for the exposure, I set up a construction lamp and placed the screen underneath it. I then dropped my bundle of rope onto the screen. I exposed it for 22 minutes and rinsed the screen in the shower afterwards. What remained was a 2D print of the previously 3D bundle of rope. The exposure went well; I was able to wash out all the unexposed parts easily. Afterwards, I cut two pieces of fabric and two pieces of cardboard to the size of the screen. The printing process itself also went smoothly. I laid the fabric on the table and placed the screen on top. Since the mesh sits slightly higher than the frame, I was able to distribute the ink properly before applying pressure. Printing on the fabric worked very well, though the cardboard was a bit more difficult because it shifted more and has a ribbed texture.

Dropping the bundle of rope onto the screen worked exactly as I had imagined. You can easily wash out the areas where the rope lay after exposure, creating an interesting shape. This was quite surprising to me, as I didn't expect the image to remain so sharp. However, I’m not sure if I can experiment much further with this specific method, as it is difficult to introduce significant variation.

What would happen if you dropped a bundle of rope onto a digital scanner bed and scanned the result?

Since I didn't expect it to work this well, it’s definitely an experiment worth remembering. While I think it’s hard to vary this specific process, I can see it being used in a final work where these prints serve as textures for further designs.

-