This collection is a series of linocut prints that best exemplify the type of imagery I like to create. They also demonstrate the various ways you can create linocut prints; from simple relief prints to layered and reduction style prints. There are a lot of steps involved in making linocuts, and each print is its own puzzle. A linocut print is created by carving the negative of an image into a linoleum board. Ink is then applied with a brayer (similar to a paint roller) followed by paper to create the print. I love figuring out the best registration method, mixing the ink, and most of all carving the board.
I never know when inspiration will hit. Sometimes I’ll see something and immediately know how I want to carve and print it. Other times I’ll take a picture and look at it for a couple of months until I figure out how I want to do it. My hometown of Chicago is one of my greatest sources of inspiration. Like many others in Chicago, I am half Mexican and Puerto Rican. These things blend together to give me a unique artistic eye. I love capturing simple imagery that resonates with my sense of home and community. These prints in particular were created over the span of my printmaking career thus far. Each one holds a memory or experience from my life.
One of my favorite moments is when my art stops someone in their tracks and they come by to take a look. Certain pieces just speak to other Chicagoans. By creating my prints, I’m able to put shared experiences and viewpoints onto paper. Printmaking has given me an opportunity to explore my roots and heritage and share my vision with others. With each print I create, I am able to capture the beauty of everyday perspectives that speak to Chicagoans, Latinos, and anyone who enjoys bold, dynamic art.
Josh Ortega
Josh Ortega is a self-taught printmaker based in Chicago. He has an eclectic style; inspired by nature and the environment around him. His work blends the vibrancy of his Mexican-Puerto Rican heritage with the dynamic energy of Chicago, capturing moments of stillness in a bustling environment through bold, graphic lines and textures. These things blend together to give him a unique artistic eye.
Follow him on Instagram @jmoprints
