A Look At The Top 4 Well-Known Linocut Artists

What Exactly Is Linocut?

Linocut, in short, is a kind of printmaking method. It's a form of woodcut that involves a linoleum sheet. People sometimes refer to linocut as simply "linoleum cut."

If you're a fan of relief prints, you may want to learn about some of the finest linocut artists of all time.

1. Angie Lewin

Lewin is a widely known multimedia artist who calls the United Kingdom home. She also happens to be a force to be reckoned with in the linocut realm. She's not just a linocut powerhouse, either.

This artist also devotes a lot of time and energy to woodcut printing, screen printing and even watercolor painting. Lewin considers rural Britain to be extremely motivating artistically. "Festival Fireworks" is the name of one of Lewin's most well-known linocut pieces.

This piece is influenced greatly by both the Scottish Highlands and the North Norfolk coast. Lewin is a Cheshire, England native who was born back in 1963. She attended London's Central School of Art and Design between the years 1983 and 1986.

After that, she went to Camberwell School of Arts and Crafts. That's when she focused on postgraduate printmaking on a part-time basis. Finally, she was a garden design student at Capel Manor College. She found employment in London in the illustration field.

This experience encouraged her to study horticulture. Once she relocated to Norfolk, she decided that it was time to get back into printmaking. The artist currently resides in Weybourne alongside Simon, her spouse.

2. Sybil Andrews

Andrews was a celebrated Canadian artist who was born on British soil in the spring of 1898. She was born in Bury St. Edmunds. Printmaking was her forte. People all over the planet recognize her thanks to her efforts with linocuts that feature a distinctive modernist style.

People who appreciate linocuts are familiar with many of Andrews' works. They're often familiar with one specific piece by the name of "The Winch." What makes The Winch so memorable? It highlights striking lines and colors as a means of depicting men hard at work.

It's a favorite among people who admire Cubism. Few people took advantage of linocut before Andrews. She was a pioneer in that sense. She first encountered Claude Flight back in the 1920s. She was a student alongside him at the acclaimed Grosvenor School of Modern Art.

She wasn't just a pupil at the school. She also had employment there. Flight taught Andrews so much about the ins and outs of art. Once she soaked up knowledge from Flight, she decided to zero in on linoleum pieces. Andrews was no stranger to art styles that were outside of the linocut sphere.

She was keen on monotypes, paintings and etchings, too. Despite that, she opted to concentrate primarily on linoleum pieces toward the end of the 1920s. Andrews managed to enjoy a long and fulfilling existence as an artist. She passed away at the age of 94 in Campbell River, British Columbia in Canada.

3. Pablo Picasso

Few people on the planet haven't heard of Picasso. He is among the most beloved artists of all time, after all. He also happened to be a big deal in the world of linocuts, interestingly enough. Many people think of Picasso as a revolutionary figure in printmaking, ceramics and painting.

That's because he regularly tested out limitations in the art arena. Picasso had been a skilled etcher from a rather early age. He waited until the end of the 1930s to test out linocut printing for the first time, though. Picasso completed his debut linocut piece back in 1939. He took a break from linocuts for quite a while after that as well.

He finally returned to linocuts at the beginning of the 1950s. That's when he was largely in Vallauris. Picasso sometimes created local events posters for happenings such as ceramics festivals and bullfights. "Arnera" was the name of a printer in the area who suggested that Picasso test linoleum out.

He said that it would give him the chance to utilize an inexpensive printmaking method. This encouraged the legendary artist to wrap himself up in the realm of linocuts for approximately a full decade. While Picasso undoubtedly put a lot of effort into linocuts, it's still pretty hard for people to locate these pieces in his collection. That's why avid collectors try so hard to find them.

4. Leopoldo Mendez

Leopoldo Mendez was a renowned graphic artist who came from Mexico. He was born in bustling Mexico City back in the summer of 1902. He passed away in the same metropolis 67 years later in February. Many people who are familiar with linocuts do not know anything about this individual.

That's because he longed to stay anonymous. He didn't want the people who made up the general public to find out anything about him. He had a penchant for working directly alongside others.

Many people who know Mendez connect him to the respected Taller de Grafica Popular. This was a workshop that was geared toward the graphics scene. Mendez happened to be the founder of the workshop. People frequently referred to it as "TGP." The aim behind TGP was a straightforward one.

It was committed to art, freedom and activism for all the citizens of Mexico. Although Mendez was without a doubt an artist who was unknown to so many fans, that doesn't mean that he didn't occasionally get a degree of recognition. Quite a few people admired his linocut backdrops.

He even put together a backdrop for a movie that came out in 1947. The film was called "Hidden River." The prints all contributed to a moving mural that made linoleum block printing a source of curiosity to individuals all over the map.

People don't know a lot about Mendez and his work. They don't know a lot about his life outside of his career, either. It's rather difficult to find images of the linocut aficionado.