Staff Pick: Mask I Series (2019)
Coty West On Working on David C. Driskell’s Mask I Series
Ever present in our memory of the late David C. Driskell (1931 - 2020) is a long-standing and creative relationship with Raven Editions’ founder, Curlee Holton. Their collaboration goes back as far as 2003, when Holton was still directing the Experimental Printmaking Institute at Lafayette College in Easton, Pennsylvania. Driskell was revolutionary in advancing the stature and awareness of African-American art and its place within the American art canon. You can read more about David C. Driskell’s work and legacy here.
“One of my favorite editions is David C. Driskell’s Mask I Series, which I worked on back in 2009.” - Coty M. West
Mask I, 2019, relief, 18 x 14 in
Coty West, Raven’s assistant printmaker and studio manager, recounts working on one of Driskell’s last projects with our studio.
“The series features a restored woodcut, which was part of an archived collection of plates made by Driskell in the 1970s, that had never been editioned before. When the woodblock arrived at the studio, it was covered in old ink, evidence of Driskell’s earlier attempts to print the work. The lines of the woodblock had to be restored by carefully removing old ink. Removing the old layers of ink was like stepping through Driskell’s artistic career. As each line of the woodcut was restored, it offered a clearer image of the work and the man behind it. Raven Editions was operating as a single-press studio at the time, but the plate and paper dimensions were a perfect fit.
Bringing the previously forgotten image back to life allowed the studio to continue Driskell’s artistic legacy and solidify our collaborative relationship with the artist. The print was well received upon its initial release due to the striking imagery of the mask, with a later edition in Driskell’s signature, vibrant color palette. The African mask, with its stark lines, forms, and symbolism, is seen throughout Driskell’s career, connected to his exploration of ancestry, nature, divinity, and self-reflection.”
“Driskell’s style and contributions to printmaking have influenced other artists we have worked with. Years later, when artist Michelle Talibah was invited to work with our studio, she created a piece that paid homage to Driskell. Talibah and I collaborated on a collagraph using leaves and other foliage Talibah found around the studio’s property. Like the African masks, tree imagery can be found throughout Driskell’s work and touches on Driskell’s respect for nature and interest in personal growth. Talibah’s print, which she titled For David, contained a series of intertwining trees and a color palette inspired by Driskell.”
Mask I
2019, Relief
18 x 14 in