Elena Tomska

Linocut is the most laconic printing technique of all. No undertones, no ambiguity. The language of linocut printing is composed of clear outlines, proportions, and rhythms of the components in a composition. My name is Elena Tomska, and I make linocut to tell my stories. They all are truthful. I chose the linocut technique to be sure you understand them like as I’ve got in mind, like clear outlines, without ambiguity.

Print one. The girl in an old-fashioned dress and the bird as a guest will share the meal: inky berries from a thorn bush. It’s a truthful story. It’s is how the soul of the deep Patapsco Forest has shared dark winter days with me.

Print two. The floor in that room is bending. The man is reclining in the chair. He looks tired, even hasn’t get changed, merely unhooks the bow tie. The man is a casino dealer after his night shift. It’s a truthful story. The portrait is of my husband.

Print three. The city with the boarded-up windows slowly sinks into an eternal sleep. In the middle of the plaza, I see a dog. The dog is howling at the stars because it doesn’t want to disappear with the city. It’s a truthful story. I need to take the tools and linoleum, inks, and the glass baren to make a print on paper where the dog and the city will continue to exist.