In the leadup to the second round of recent presidential elections in France, I saw a quote from the perennial far-left candidate Jen-Luc Melenchon that summarized a very simple way of articulating a left political platform that people can understand and get behind. “What we offer is another vision of the world, of society,” Melenchon said, “I’m not saying we will create a paradise from one day to the next, but we will put an end to hell.”
I made this edition in one day during a workshop at Mullowney Printing in Portland, OR. The visual idea of an upside-down inferno had been rolling around for months and when Paul told me to carve something up, this is what came out. There are other elements of symbolism in the print as well (wink).
I hand-mixed the inks from mineral pigments and #5 plate oil and printed the block on a big Vandercook SP-25 proofing press.
This is a signed, numbered edition.
