Moth

Kiki Smith

American (b. 1954)
Moth (1996)
Woodcut with collage, metallic multi-color glitter, and hand coloring
Proceeds From the Museum Shop, 1997.4

The oldest form of printmaking, woodcut is a method of relief printing from a block of wood cut along the grain. At its most basic level, the process can be compared with making simple potato prints. First the design is transferred to a prepared wooden block. Then the surface of the wood is cut away around the design. Raised areas of the design are inked and printed, while areas that have been cut away appear blank on the printed page. Like other forms of printmaking, woodcuts are often the result of workshop practices, with artists working alongside a team of skilled technicians, including block cutters and printers, to realize their ideas. The technique of printing from wooden blocks was first used in China to decorate textiles as early as the 3rd century CE and in Europe from the 13th century.

Smith based Moth on a sculpture of the same name. By collaging two woodcut prints, she adds depth to her two-dimensional work.