Togninas in the time of COVID

When COVID struck in 2020 and Melbourne (along with the rest of the world) was suddenly thrust into lockdown, I had to 'pivot' to teaching printmaking online to students who no longer had access to printmaking facilities or equipment. Unable to access my archive of teaching resources, I made some new collagraph plates from materials I had at hand for the purposes of testing and demonstrating the medium to my first year students - printing with a bone folder! Thankfully, we are back in the print studio and my subsequent demonstrations could take place using a press.

When, in 2022, I had to produce an edition for the 3rd year exchange portfolio, I decided it was time to put my collagraph editioning skills to the test by utilising my 'COVID' plates. I also thought it was about time I finally resolved the various demonstration prints I had begun since 2020, through overprinting with multiple collagraph plates and monoprinted flowers.

Click here to learn about Tognina Gonsalvus, the real life 16th-century hairy woman who inspired this work.