ALISTAIR TURNER // ALT.PRINT

The Stage door of a theatre is a fascinating portal into the backstage world. Everyone from the humble cleaner to the biggest stars of the business are greeted with a biro and a sign-in sheet. And on the Opening Night of a new production they are transformed by a wash of colour from bouquets of flowers, bottles of fizz and first night cards from well wishers and grateful Producers. The acting company is also often met post-show by a clamour of fans wanting selfies and autographs.

Current edition of ten

Print 297mm x 210mm A4

Printed on Canaletto paper with Calico safe wash inks.

This piece is about dancing on your own and loving it, lost in the music, the lights and the glitter.

On a technical note, I really enjoyed trying to achieve the shimmer of glitter caught in a spotlight with such a restricted palette of blues.

Edition of 8

Printed on Canaletto 500 x 350mm, Velino with Caligo safe wash and Hawthorn Letterpress Ink.

This print was initially intended to reflect how intimidating I used to find visiting gay clubs when I was younger. Thank you Gay Shame. Thank you Body Dysmorphia. But once I began to work on it, playing with colours and composition, it became a much more euphoric, sexy and effervescent piece about community, one which I am very proud of.

Edition of 13

Printed on Canaletto 500 x 350mm, Velino with Caligo safe wash and Hawthorn Letterpress Fluorescent inks

Another integral part of the theatre making process in need of celebrating is the Costume Department. The Cutting Room is often a wonderful, warm, collaborative space where a Theatre Designer can explore possibilities and take risks with a team of highly skilled makers, keen to create gorgeous, intricate garments which take the initial designs to a new level.

Thank you to the women of the Leeds Playhouse Costume Department for collaborating with me on this print.

Current edition of ten

Print 297mm x 210mm A4

Printed on Zerkall extra smooth paper with black calico safe wash inks.

Surrounded by storyboards, scripts and reference materials, a designer will often spend hours staring into the model box, considering every design decision they have to make. This print is a love letter to that process and also to my colleagues, the numerous associate and assistant designers I’ve had the pleasure of making tiny things alongside over the years. The scale model is a representation of the theatre and the set which sits within it. With computer aided design becoming more advanced the model is sometimes viewed as an artistic luxury, especially when budgeting a production. But in truth they are a tool, an art form and an essential part of the design process.

Current edition of ten

Print 297mm x 210mm A4

Printed on Zerkall extra smooth paper with black calico safe wash inks.

Inspired by the wonderful Prop Supervisors and propping Stage Managers I’ve worked with over the years in the theatre. A Prop Store can be quite a magical place, often throwing up options and ideas that the designer may not have initially considered. I always loved rummaging about to find the perfect tablecloth or make-up compact. The generosity and ingenuity of a great Props team always takes a production to the next level.

Current edition of ten

Print 297mm x 210mm A4

Printed on Zerkall extra smooth paper with black calico safe wash inks.

Working magic with paints and textures, another integral part of the team shaping the set designer’s vision are the scenic artists. Taking even the strangest concepts in their stride, it’s always amazing to see how skilfully they can interpret the scale models at full size whether that asks for a snow covered Scandinavian forest or a crumbling Sheffield warehouse. This print is to celebrate them and saluting how they help to create different worlds for an audience to get lost in.

Current edition of ten

Print 297mm x 210mm A4

Printed on Zerkall extra smooth paper with black calico safe wash inks.

Hand pulled Linocut Print

Another addition to my series of prints inspired by theatre and the skilled people who work backstage to create a production- a world I am lucky enough to also have a role in most of the time, depending on world wide pandemics obviously. This print is dedicated to the often uncelebrated Costume Supervisors, many of whom I have had the honour and joy of working with along the way. The costume supervisor works alongside the designer to create the character’s look, pulling clothing, shoes, jewellery, hats and handbags amongst other items, liaising with costume makers and offering an often encyclopaedic knowledge of period fashion.

Current edition of ten

Print 297mm x 210mm A4

Printed on Zerkall extra smooth paper with black calico safe wash inks.

As well as printmaking, I also work in the world of theatre design and as theatre is currently on hold due to lockdown I wanted to do a print that celebrates the often hidden lives and jobs going on backstage.

I wanted to capture the high contrast of the bright stage against the darkness which surrounds it and keep the faces of the crew hidden. The print became an exercise in shading with line and texture.

Print 440 x 290mm

Hand-burnished. Printed on Fabriano 4 Liscia

Take an unconventional look at the theatre stage from high up in the flies, nestled amongst the scenery and lights.

This print was my second exploring the backstage world of the theatre but this time I wanted to emphasise the height at which the flown scenery is hung by forcing the perspective.

This striking print is entirely hand-burnished using black Caligo inks on cream Somerset satin. The hand burnishing had mixed results so the black is patchy in places but I had to embrace this and now feel like this adds to the uniqueness of each print.

Print 450x350mm

Larger than my press, this print of children playing by the sea under a stormy sky in Northern Ireland was hand burnished in many different layers. Plenty of extender was used to achieve the ombre on the wet sand and approaching clouds. It was a good lesson which I undertook purely for the pleasure of the image and I’m proud of the result. I had been burnishing with a plastic barren on the first two layers and although it added an interesting texture, it didn’t give me the desired coverage so I resorted to my faithful wooden spoon. I also experimented with two Fabriano papers, one more textured than the other, but after a while I abandoned the editions on the rougher paper as the texture was interfering with the image. I learnt a lot with this one!

Printed with Caligo safe wash inks on Fabriano Liscia 220g

Limited Edition hand pulled linocut print

Catwoman is an all-time favourite character of mine and both Michelle Pfeiffer’s performance and costume in 1992’s Batman Returns are celluloid gold. I wanted to use crisp, clean shapes and marks carved into the lino block to capture the sheen of her black vinyl catsuit and whip, the white stitching and blood red lips contrast strikingly against the deep black background.

Over the course of this short edition, I embraced the differences in ink coverage which I feel really adds to the quality of the costume and set this print apart from a standard digital reproduction. All the editions are available to view in the online shop

This is also the largest print I have done to date and is about the limit of my current printing press!

Print 350 x 235mm

Printed on extra smooth Zerkall paper with Caligo inks

The Flamingo print proved so popular I thought I’d have a look at some other colourful birds to print. I’ve always liked the vibrancy and scale of the Toucan’s bill so began work on this print but after some googling I found there was more than one species of Toucan, all with really interesting shapes and colours in their bills.

Printed with two plates, using the reduction technique on both, alternating between layering one on the other.

Limited edition of 8

Print 205 x 210mm

Printed on Zerkall Super Smooth

The Flamingo print proved so popular I thought I’d have a look at some other colourful birds to print. I’ve always liked the vibrancy and scale of the Toucan’s bill so began work on this print but after some googling I found there was more than one species of Toucan, all with really interesting shapes and colours in their bills.

Printed with two plates, using the reduction technique on both, alternating between layering one on the other.

Limited edition of 9

Print 205 x 210mm

Printed on Zerkall Super Smooth

A cute little panda print to add to my current series of animals, this time with the added texture inside the coloured circle as a suggestion of the bamboo the she likes to eat. I enjoyed getting the definition of the fur into the black ink in this playful print.

Edition of 8 (apricot colour)

Edition of 9 (mint colour)

195 x 185mm

Printed on Zerkall extra smooth

I’ve always been a big fan of New York fire escapes and have been trying to do a decent print for a while. My own photos lacked the compositional finesse of my friend’s picture so I used her’s as a starting point. I initially had more abstract ideas for the sky, adding some clouds or textures but the most successful print came with the clean blue ombre contrasting the pink of the building.

Printed on heavier stock printing paper from off cut bundle.

200mmx 200mm

Based on a friend’s striking photograph I wanted to capture the blackening storm clouds as they approached the golden sands of Daymer Beach. Using plenty of extender and rollering different ombres of ink over one another I used the print as an experiment with capturing the clouds, something I’ve been trying to do for a while.

Printed on Zerkall paper

190x110mm

I’ve been wanting to try print of clouds for a while but have always struggled with representing the light fluffiness and shading inside a cloud with the harder lines associated with linocut as a medium. I played with lots of extender to vary the heaviness of the ink and after couple of layers it seemed to come together. I abstracted the silhouette of the buildings with the layers of orange and rust because I wanted the sky and clouds to be the focus.

Printed on Ho Sho Paper

250x110mm

Part of a commission for a friend of their parents dog. I worked from photographs and played with the composition and heightened the colours to capture the sheen of a black Labrador and make the print a bit more abstract.

Printed on Zerkall printing paper

200 x 145mm

Part of a commission for a friend of their parents dog. I worked from photographs and played with the composition and heightened the colours to try and capture little Bertie’s character.

I was especially pleased with the whispy white fur and the registration

Printed on Zerkall printing paper

200 x 145mm

I love Giraffes and I wanted to capture this little moment.

I always imagined it was a parent Giraffe and baby but a friend saw it and decided they were siblings- the older brother looking after the younger. I was thinking it would be a perfect New Baby gift so I guess either interpretation works!

Printed in Caligo safe wash inks on Japanese Ho Sho printing paper.

200mm x 200mm

This was a commission for a couple of friend’s wedding invitation. The print is a combination of the first Valentine’s day cards the couple gave one another. It was a real honour to work with them creating this print and I hope their guests, who each received a handprinted limited edition with their invitations, love the image as much as I do.

Threaded Sun is a reduction print which came about when I wanted to incorporate the new woven texture techniques I’d been developing into a more graphic bold abstract piece.

Printed on Zerkall

230x230mm

Another adventure into woven textures in print. This felt like a good idea at first and then half way through I really wanted to give up. But I persevered. It was a bit tricky to get a completely perfect print from this plate so I continued to use the print in different way as you’ll see.

Original plate 220 x 150mm

I stumbled upon this suit fabric on a costume rail backstage at a theatre where I was doing some work and I fell in love with the graphic. It felt very fortuitous as a lot of my work at the time had been concerned with emulating the textures and forms created with fabric and woven materials. I really enjoyed capturing the undulation of the cloth just by carving marks into the lino. Initially I only planned on printing the single colour navy/white version but then I began experimenting with printing other colours underneath. Here I used an orange and magenta ombre to further exaggerate the folds of the fabric

Print 263 x 230mm

Printed in Cranfield inks on Zerkall paper in my studio, South London

I stumbled upon this suit fabric on a costume rail backstage at a theatre where I was doing some work and I fell in love with the graphic. It felt very fortuitous as a lot of my work at the time had been concerned with emulating the textures and forms created with fabric and woven materials. I really enjoyed capturing the undulation of the cloth just by carving marks into the lino.

Print 263 x 230mm

Printed in navy blue/black Cranfield inks on Zerkall paper in my studio, South London

Inspired by the work of textile artist and designer Anni Albers, whose work I first saw exhibited in Bilbao and then again in London. Using light and shade I wanted to try to recreate a feel of Albers work with interwoven threads in a 2D print.

Print: A5 210mm x 150mm

Printed on Heavyweight printing paper with Caligo Inks in my studio, South London

Commissioned as a gift, I was asked to create a triptych of sorts to celebrate two brothers from Wales, buying a flat together in Bristol whilst one still lives in London. Together we decided that something simple, colourful and graphic would be suitable and the idea of bridges symbolising each area would be a nice concept.

Clifton Suspension Bridge, Bristol (red)

Severn Bridge, Wales (blue)

Tower Bridge, London (yellow)

I also liked how the nature of a bridge uniting two locations mirrored how the purchase of their flat would unite the brothers.

All printed on Fabriano recycled paper with Caligo Safe wash and Cranfield inks.

Print in mount measures 320 x 320mm

Quirky and quizzical, this little fella is either looking for a cuddle or a treat. This portrait is based on one of our dog friends, George The Sausage. We’ve met George and his owners ever since we got our Whippet who, although similar in age, does tend to tower over George - not that he lets this intimidate him in the slightest!

Print 250 x 180mm

Printed in navy blue/black Cranfield inks on Surrey 250gsm paper in my studio, South London

Despite his glum little face our French Bulldog is full of charm and cute as a button. The perfect gift for any Frenchie lover.

Print 260 x 160mm

Printed on Japanese Ho Sho paper with Caligo Inks in my studio, South London

A commission for a friend of his family dogs, just hanging out together. I love the expressions on their faces and I think some of the shading on their coats is particularly successful.

Printed on a mystery cream coloured paper from Intaglio Printmakers which is a heavier quality than I’m used to. Using Caligo Black safe wash inks.

Another print of Kiefer Cooke in the low Swedish sunlight.

Printed on Fabriano paper with Caligo inks

Created with seven separate plates, carved and coloured individually and printed with intentional overlapping. The process took a while to get each man registered correctly but due to the separate plates I can continue to play with colours and positioning.

Printed on a mystery paper from an off cut bundle bought at Intaglio Print Supplies, the buttery colour makes a nice change from the pure white I’m used to. Using caligo safe wash inks.

Just some experiments with line and shadow.

Inspired by a railing near the gym!!

Part of the Hombres series.

Inspired by vintage advertising illustrations, I used an ink blending method to create these colourful hyper masculine chaps. I think the intensity of colour you can achieve with this type of printing as opposed to digital is incredible. Oh and this colour fade is called an Ombré… get it??!!

Print 200x140mm / 8”x5.5”

Printed on Japanese Ho Sho paper with Caligo Inks

Part of the Hombres series.

Inspired by vintage advertising illustrations, I used an ink blending method to create these colourful hyper masculine chaps. I think the intensity of colour you can achieve with this type of printing as opposed to digital is incredible. Oh and this colour fade is called an Ombré… get it??!!

Print 200x140mm / 8”x5.5”

Printed on Japanese Ho Sho paper with Caligo Inks

Part of the Hombres series.

Inspired by vintage advertising illustrations, I used an ink blending method to create these colourful hyper masculine chaps. I think the intensity of colour you can achieve with this type of printing as opposed to digital is incredible. Oh and this colour fade is called an Ombré… get it??!!

Print 200x140mm / 8”x5.5”

Printed on Japanese Ho Sho paper with Caligo Inks

Part of the Hombres series.

Inspired by vintage advertising illustrations, I used an ink blending method to create these colourful hyper masculine chaps. I think the intensity of colour you can achieve with this type of printing as opposed to digital is incredible. Oh and this colour fade is called an Ombré… get it??!!

Print 200x140mm / 8”x5.5”

Printed on Japanese Ho Sho paper with Caligo Inks

A portrait of the devilishly handsome Kiefer Cooke, artfully lit by the Scandinavian sunshine through a venetian blind. Taken from a photograph on Instagram, I felt the lighting of the original image would make a great black and white linocut. Plus Kiefer is pretty easy on the eye.

Print 112 x 89mm

Mount 180x130mm/ 7x5”

Printed on Japanese Ho Sho paper with Caligo Inks in my studio, South London

A portrait of the super sexy Shawn Morales of RuPaul’s Drag Race Pit Crew fame, based on a candid photograph taken at Precinct, DTLA found on Instagram. The original was downlit so strikingly I felt the shadows would lend themselves perfectly to a linoprint. I tried to use as few cuts as possible for Shawn's face to add to the anonymity.

Definite echoes of Tom of Finland.

Print 132 x 104mm

Mount 250 x 200mm / 10x8”

Printed on Japanese Ho Sho paper with Caligo Inks in my studio, South London

Commissioned by my friend Ally as a gift for her parent’s 40th wedding anniversary.

I’ve included the original picture as an example of how I like to approach commissions. Together with Ally we decided the mural on the exterior of Gravesham Registry Office would be a nice feature so after a bit of online searching we found a clearer and wider image of the mural by Alan Boyson to help fill in the blanks. Ally also told me that the interior of her parents home featured a lot of blues and purples so I chose to simply the mosaic into shades of blue rather than the multicoloured original.

Edition of 2, printed on Ho Sho Paper with caligo inks.

My mum

Based on a photograph taken by my Dad in the sixties, I made this print as a gift for my mother's 70th birthday. It took six separate attempts as it had to be right! The black and white photograph didn't have much contrast in the face so the shading with the lino became tricky. I printed a floral pattern digitally on to the paper which was similar to the dress fabric in the photo (a dress my mother later told me she'd made) and then printed the black over the top.

Printed on Ho Sho paper with caligo ink/floral pattern printed digitally.

Experimenting with ombré and pattern. I found this image of comedian and insta-hunk Mateo Lane online and wanted to create a piece full of fun and colour. I added the pattern around the edge but I wonder whether it might have been better without.

Printed on Fabriano paper with calico inks.

County Antrim, Northern Ireland

Created as part of a wedding invite commission for friends Colin and Douglas. I used an original photo taken by Colin, abstracting and illustrating sections to make it more print friendly. I was hugely honoured to have been asked to print this series. 40 original editions were sent to guests with their invitations to the wedding reception.

Printed on Japanese Ho Sho Paper with Caligo Inks

An overlooked, shadow filled alleyway off Lafayette Street, Manhattan, NYC, reproduced here in vibrant oranges and yellows. Originally produced for friend’s Colin and Douglas' wedding invitation, 40 copies were sent to guests invited to the New York ceremony. Douglas has family who live on Lafayette St. where the dinner was to take place so this commission felt very personal.

Created with three separate plates rather than reduction print so further prints can be made, perhaps in different colour ways...

Print 150x102mm

Mount 254x203mm/ 10x8”

Printed on Japanese Ho Sho paper with Caligo Inks

AVAILABLE TO BUY AT SHOP

Based on a photograph taken from The High Line, NYC. I have always enjoyed these towers as symbols of the city, looming above the rooftops, their roundness contrasting against the linear windows and shadows. I wanted to capture them in a print but play with colours in a more abstract way.

Limited edition of 10

130mm x 130mm

Printed on Fabriano paper with Caligo inks.

Based on a photograph by Shelley Seccombe entitled Sunbathers, Pier 51 (1977). I found a copy of it in a book called Gay Gotham about the LGBT history of New York City. Like many people, I have always been fascinated by the city and especially for me the hedonistic halcyon days of the 70s and 80s. Seccombe's photographs of the derelict piers along the Hudson River, used as playgrounds for scores of gay men, capture the period perfectly for me. I used this print as on opportunity to play with colours and also textures I'd explored in Spirals.

Limited edition of 10

170mm x 143mm

Printed on Japanese Ho Sho paper with Caligo Inks

More experimentation with mark making in linocut, multiple plates and inks with added extender (mixing extender with your ink increases its transparency)

Open edition

130mm x 110mm

Printed on Japanese Ho Sho paper with Caligo inks

This portrait of Patch was commissioned by a friend as a Christmas gift for his partner. He gave me a number of photographs of Patch to chose from and I felt this picture of him buried in the long grass would work well in lino. This print was achieved using the reduction technique so all cut from one plate- see F train

Limited edition of 3

160mm x 120mm

Printed on Japanese Ho Sho paper with Caligo inks

A constant inspiration.

Printed with Caligo Safe Wash Relief ink on Standard Pure White Copier paper 90gsm

113 x 113mm

As part of a commission for an engagement party invitation, my friend's asked me to design a picture of their cat

I wanted to experiment with textures and pattern and, inspired by classic Scandinavian design, I developed these spiral designs. I'm pleased with the result as a print but the process was so useful I went on to use many of the patterns in future designs.

Open edition

290mm x 210mm

Printed on Japanese Ho Sho paper with Caligo inks

Portrait of Ava Belle Summers commissioned for a friend

Created as a reduction print in four greys, playing with shadows and hair textures.

210mm x 145mm

Printed on Matt Brilliant white card 200gsm with Caligo inks

Based on a vintage photograph of Memorial Day in New York City, 1949

Limited edition of 19

Printed on Zerkall Extra Smooth 26 paper using Caligo Safe Wash inks

200x200mm

A commission for a friend to commemorate the first house she and her husband moved to together.

Where it all started... my first print

Initially printed with Speedball black, this edition is printed using Caligo Safe Wash Relief ink.

178 x 128mm

Concept art for the flyer of a play by Elena Bolster entitled Beast

Printed with Speedball black on medium weight 120gsm Cartridge paper

190 x 135mm

Playing with textures and mark making.

Printed on Zerkall Extra Smooth 26 paper with Caligo Safe Wash inks

175 x 120mm

Five colour reduction print

Limited Edition of 6

Completed at The Art Academy, London SE1

Printed with Caligo Safe Wash Relief ink on 200gsm acid free Fabriano paper

185 x 185mm

Reduction Print:

A reduction print uses one linoleum plate rather than multiple plates. The first cut removes everything to be kept white- then the first colour (yellow) is printed. The vibrancy of the inks is affected by the colour on to which it is printed so it is best to print your brightest colour first as nothing will be as vibrant as that printed on the white of the paper. Once cleaned the plate is now ready for the next cut- removing everything you want to keep yellow. The first grey is then printed, leaving the pillars and platform edge as yellow. This process is repeated for as many colours as you are using. The final black layer often ties the whole print together, clearly defining edges and shadows.

A study of my friend Doug, taking a well deserved nap the day after his housewarming party. Using the carved lino to add detail into the walls giving the piece a more traditional linocut feel.

Printed in pure Cyan Caligo Safe Wash Relief ink on Zerkall Extra Smooth 26

160 x 145mm

My first commission: A portrait of my friend Caroline and her sister, Emma, as children in traditional Welsh National costume. Created as a limited edition reduction print using four tones of grey to add depth and detail to the shading on the faces.

Printed on Zerkall Extra Smooth 26 with Caligo Safe Wash Relief inks

140 x 140mm

From a series of illustrations for a children's story concept.

Printed with Speedball Prussian Blue and hand burnished with wooden spoon. Later editions will be made using Caligo Safe Wash Relief ink and Relief Press.

200 x 153mm

Conceived as an illustration for a children's story book

Printed on Zerkall Extra Smooth 26 using Caligo Safe Wash Relief inks

155 x 105mm

Based on my favourite scene from my favourite film, Batman Returns, featuring Selina Kyle's transformation into Catwoman.

An experiment with reduction printing using multiple colours. The combination of inferior inks and heavy cartridge paper meant the result wasn't entirely successful- but a lesson learned nonetheless.

205 x 155mm