Contemporary Visions Block Prints
- Sep 19, 2019
- 3 min read
Updated: Oct 14, 2019
In the mid-1940s, Walter Inglis Anderson carved over 300 large scale linoleum blocks reflecting the flora and fauna of the Gulf Coast, along with fairytales from around the world. Anderson is considered the first artist to create such large scale works out of linoleum, predating Pablo Picasso’s blocks by several years.
The linoleum blocks were used until 1985 when they were replaced with screen prints. Carolyn Fournier Anderson, daughter-in-law of Walter Anderson, took on the enormous task of converting the blocks into screens and ensuring that their images could be shared with the world for years to come.
This exhibition of block prints is a collaboration and conversation between Walter Inglis Anderson, Carolyn Anderson, and five regional contemporary artists. Each artist was provided a block print - printed in a soft lilac ink - and invited to decorate or alter it in their own style, echoing a decades-long tradition of artists and collectors adding color to their own Walter Anderson block prints. The resulting one-of-a-kind artworks are for sale benefitting both the artists and the Walter Anderson Museum of Art.
A special thanks to the Family of Walter Anderson for their support of this project.
To inquire about purchasing work, contact curator@walterandersonmuseum.org.
ARTIST: Adrienne Brown-David
Original
Walter Inglis Anderson (1903-1965), Ditch I.
Completed
Keepers
Adrienne Brown-David
Acrylic on Block Print
August 2019
approx. 50x18"
$1500
It’s not often that I have the opportunity to be directly influenced by another artist’s work. It feels almost like a collaboration between Walter Anderson and myself. Maybe this is the vision that he and I would create together!
ARTIST: Rick Dobbs
Original in process
Walter Inglis Anderson (1903-1965), Possum Family.
Completed
Possum Kingdom
Rick Dobbs
India Ink and Watercolor on Block Print
August 2019
approx. 80x18"
$1200
I feel absolutely privileged and honored to have been asked to collaborate on this project for Walter Anderson’s 116th birthday celebration. Growing up on the Coast – Walter has been a creative icon and idol of mine since junior high. I now have a design studio in New
Orleans called Unreal – and to this day still call upon his Seven Design Motifs for inspiration. For Possum Kingdom I India inked the entire block in black – then added a watercolor overlay.
ARTIST: Jerrod Partridge
Original
Walter Inglis Anderson (1903-1965), Ditch II.
Completed
Ditch Vignette with Turtle
Jerrod Partridge
Acrylic and Gold Leaf
2019
approx. 14x18"
$
I was introduced to Walter Anderson in high school and was immediately struck by his exceptional use of line and pattern to represent the natural world. I carried a book of his work with me to New York for grad school because he was then, as he is now, a major inspiration to me. When I paint it is done with less emphasis on hard-edged lines, so in collaborating with Anderson’s block print I wanted to add a brushwork softness without losing the recognizable design. I isolated a section of Anderson’s block print The Ditch and added one of my favorite ditch critters, a box turtle.
ARTIST: Robin Whitfield
Original
Walter Inglis Anderson (1903-1965), Ditch II.
Completed
Elements of a Ditch
Mineral pigments foraged in Mississippi: red ochre (Gautier), yellow ochre (Grenada Lake), pale yellow clay (Ward Bayou), MS Delta alluvium (Yazoo River), lavender clay (Poplarville), gray clay (Starkville), charcoal (Horn Island)
2019
$1200
Walter Anderson has become a major influence on how I define artist and adult. Walter’s work makes sure we pay attention to ditches and other unseen beauty. When I work directly with foraged mineral and plant colors I see things I didn’t notice before. I am connected; plugged into the primal nature of being human – creative play. Collaborating with Walter’s imagery using colors collected from around Mississippi feels just right!
ARTIST: Carlyle Wolfe
Original
Walter Inglis Anderson (1903-1965), Ditch I.
Completed
The Ditch - with Green Heron, Pine Lilies, Turtle, and Stokesia
Carlyle Wolfe
Gouache on Block Print
2019
approx. 38x18"
$1200
My paintings and works on paper are about awareness of the natural world—becoming progressively, cyclically more present to its rhythms, gaining deeper understanding of its design, and acquiring direct experiential knowledge of its mysterious beauty. Walter Anderson’s observation and experience of the natural world was an early influence for me and has been an enduring one. I appreciate the way he immersed himself in Mississippi ecosystems and chose to emphasize unifying patterns and movements in his work.
Art projects like this beautifully demonstrate how creativity evolves across generations. By reinterpreting classic works through their own techniques, contemporary artists create a dialogue between tradition and modern expression while preserving the original inspiration. It’s fascinating to see how a single visual concept can be transformed into something entirely new through color, texture, and personal artistic vision. I recently explored anime ai art generator, a creative platform that allows users to design unique anime-style artwork and characters while experimenting with different artistic styles and visual themes. Whether working with historical prints or digital creations, art continues to thrive through reinterpretation, imagination, and creative collaboration.
What an inspiring project. It’s fascinating to see how contemporary artists reinterpret Walter Anderson’s work while maintaining a connection to his deep appreciation of the natural world. The collaboration showcases how influential artistic ideas can evolve and remain relevant across different generations. During my downtime, I also enjoy stepping away from creative projects for a few minutes with a casual game like Subway Surfers before returning with a fresh perspective.
Walter Anderson's legacy is so incredible, and I love seeing how contemporary artists are pushing the boundaries of traditional block printing in this exhibition. The clean lines and bold textures in printmaking always mesmerize me. Whenever I spend too much time staring at beautiful art online and get a bit of screen fatigue, I like to take a 10-minute break and play some simple, colorful games on minigame just to shift my brain into a completely different gear. Thanks for highlighting these amazing contemporary visions!
What I like about Block Breaker is how it gradually gets harder without feeling unfair. You can actually see yourself improving with each attempt.
Retro Bowl is a nostalgic American football game that blends classic pixel graphics with surprisingly deep team management and strategy elements.