Backtracks - Looking at the World with ‘Linoprint Eyes’

Since beginning to teach lino-printing, Pip Williams has developed a unique way of viewing the world—through what she calls ‘Linoprint Eyes.’ This perspective, particularly during her travels, drives her to search for images that will inspire future prints. She is drawn to scenes with vibrant colours, strong lines, and inherent patterns. Movement and mood also play an essential role in her work, capturing memories and emotions that she hopes resonate with others who recall similar places and moments.

Pip's prints span many years, starting from early travels in Central Australia, a stint in Ghana, and a cycling trip through Vietnam, among others. Her style has evolved over time, transitioning from hand printing to using a press, a method she considers more refined. However, she still cherishes the raw, uneven textures that characterized her early works.

Pip has a deep love for colour and enjoys employing the reduction technique in her printing process. This involves applying several layers of colour using a single block, carving away areas in between each layer. The reduction process leaves the block increasingly worn down and ultimately unusable, which is why these prints are considered Limited Editions. Typically, she only prints a handful of pieces—around six per edition—making them rare.

Her Vietnamese series draws inspiration from scenes she witnessed while cycling through northern and southern Vietnam, passing through small villages and islands. She chose to print these pieces in a poster format as a tribute to the early propaganda posters of Vietnam.

The Ghana prints, created during a stay in Accra, were made with minimal supplies, including a glass coffee table and her socks as a burnisher. Limited to one colour, these prints explore the wonderful patterns and symbols of Ghanaian culture and everyday life. The vibrant people, fabrics, and the mix of joy and chaos in the country left a lasting impression, which is reflected in the prints.

A later trip to New Zealand inspired monumental prints, filled with bold colours and vibrant depictions of steam. The striking glacial blue rivers and the picturesque views of snow-capped mountains are unforgettable moments that Pip captured in her art.

For three years, Pip walked the Cornwall Coast Path, an experience that allowed her to fully appreciate the raw power of the sea and immerse herself in the area's rich mining history. These prints hold memories of the exhausting yet rewarding moments spent along this dramatic coastline.

Pip’s current adventures involve road trips in her campervan, with recent travels to Tasmania and Western Australia. Tasmania’s landscapes, with its water, wooden boats, and mountain ranges, along with the lichen-stained rocks of Binnalong Bay, provided endless inspiration. Meanwhile, Western Australia's wildflowers, particularly along the Nullarbor, have been immortalized in vibrant prints, some incorporating elements of indigenous culture in their backgrounds. As a grower and seller of native flowers, Pip found this region to be a paradise for her artistic practice.

This ongoing journey continues to shape Pip's work, with her prints serving as an integral part of her evolving story.