In John Buck’s newest print, “The Night Prism”, angled surfaces meander in an ornamental fashion delineating a human figure. This constructed body, the central motif of the print, is not meant to be an animated, mobile form, but a prism, a tool to refract or reflect light. A frenzy of activity occurs among the graphic elements in the background: air escapes from a balloon figure, multiple explosions detonate on the perimeter of a globe, surfaces appear to melt or sweat and wind blows. We seem to be witnessing a world gone wrong. The only active source of light in the print emanates from a candle burning atop a figure’s truncated head/mind. In darkness, one wonders, how can the prism work?

“The Night Prism” is a four color woodcut printed on Thai Mulberry paper, 74¼ x 37”, in an edition of 20 plus proofs.

We are pleased to announce that a retrospective of John Buck’s graphic work has begun an extended national tour at the Northwest Museum of Arts & Culture, Spokane, and will be on view through November 16, 2008. A catalogue raisonne, including the 43 woodcut editions printed by Shark’s, is available from the museum.