John Hitchcock
A Song for Eternity, 2021, screenprint, acrylic paint, watercolor, drawing on paper, 30 x 44 inches.
“It takes time to create and a good ear to learn.”
John Hitchcock is an artist living and working in Madison, Wisconsin (USA). His energetic approach to color is not always planned and his approach to printmaking is intense. The symbols and stories (including abstract representations, mythological hybrid creatures and military weaponry) in John’s work are created with screenprint, lithography, paper dye and relief print techniques.
John also works with music, video, live performance, sculpture and installation. Currently he is working on series of works The Americas that are based on the reflections of Joy Harjo’s new book “An American Sunrise.”
What are the direct references, research, or aspects of history that your work includes?
I work with images referencing beads, bombs, floral patterns, buffalo and owls to speak about issues of indigenous historical trauma. Many of the images are interpretations of stories told by my Kiowa/Comanche grandparents and abstract representations influenced by beadwork, land, and culture.
“I approach printmaking in the same way as I play guitar. In both, I’m thinking about layering, overlapping, spontaneity, repetition, and collaboration.”
We Have Always Been Here, 2021, screenprint, acrylic paint and dye on paper, 22 x 30 inches.
Yellow Star Grass, 2021, screenprint, 22 x 30 inches.
How does the printmaking process itself relate to how you work with color?
I approach printmaking in the same way as I play guitar. In both, I’m thinking about layering, overlapping, spontaneity, repetition, and collaboration. In the printshop and with a band it is sometimes a collaboration and takes time and skill. I’m always thinking about timing, nuance, and what tool (screen, block, pedal steel, lap steel, guitar) to use.
I’ve become more comfortable with how I approach both over the years. Many hours invested in the studio (print and music) and learning lots of techniques through playing and experimenting. Plus making prints and music with several different people. I’ve learned several different styles and processes from collaboration. It takes time to create and a good ear to learn.
Are there specific associations towards color in your work?
Yes, I use colors related to night (blues/purples/greens) and day (red/yellow/orange).
I keep this in mind as a build up the composition and I attempt to create contrast. I’ll start with a line image and begin to push and pull with color.
Kaku’s Star Shawl, 2021, screenprint, acrylic paint and dye, 22 x 30 inches.
Stars of All Colors, A Song for Shan Goshorn, 2021, screenprint, acrylic paint on paper, 22 x 30 inches.
What cultural aspects of color are built into your work?
Symbolism in color from my kaku (Comanche Grandmother). When I was a child, kaku asked me to design floral patterns and geometric shapes for her beadwork designs. This is how I learned how to draw. She would explain how Comanche people used color in their regalia as she beaded. I would sit at the table with her drawing patterns as she told stories.
The Sound of Bombs, 2021, screenprint, acrylic paint and dye on paper, 22x30 inches.
The Truth is Buried in the Land, 2021, screenprint, 22 x 30 inches, varied edition of 3.