Cheval Blanc Poem

The first abstract prints of American artist Jim Dine were made in Michael Woolworth's Parisian print workshop. For this image, Jim created a lexicon of shapes and cut out dozens of small wooden forms that were inked up, then placed spontaneously on the image in countless different ways, often backwards or upside down. Once a series of shapes was passed through the press, he reworked each proof manually, drawing, painting or even using power tools to create new marks and textures before running the print through the press again. This process, which continued for several months, led to a series of complex, audacious and expressive prints.