Details of installation view of In a row, 300x150cm, woodcut on paper, 2021

Sheep prints, each 120x120cm, Woodcut on paper with sheep wool and leaves, 2021

In a row (2021) represents a flock of 40 sheep prints on paper, 120x120cm large, based on 4 woodcuts. Each print is reworked with color, raw sheep wool, sheep droppings, hay or leaves and is named.
In a row came into being through getting to know the sheep Hope, Lotte and Ludmilla (Ludi) from an animal sanctuary. In general, sheep are social animals that need to be in a group of at least two sheep.The flock has its own dynamic where every animal has a certain role and acts within the flock, constantly communicating with one another. I could observe such flock behavior also when being with Hope, Lotte and Ludi, who all slept in the same place and seemed to adapt their behavior in regard to what their mates were doing. The artwork seeks to translate this dynamic, portraying each sheep both individually and as part of a group, through which it lives.
But also the sheep‘s biographies find their way in the artwork. Hope for instance is the youngest of the three sheep and was living on a farm before coming to the animal sanctuary. On the day of slaughter, on 22.11.2014, she witnessed her family being killed, until a woman that passed by heard the sheep scream and saw Hope, the only remaining animal in the stall, who came running towards her, scared of being dragged in the slaughter room. She decided to buy the sheep and offer her a more peaceful life. The fact that many domesticated sheep get slaughtered at a young age and against their will, is mentioned by installing all sheep prints in a row, as it happens during such a scenario.
This ambivalence between the joy of spending time with sheep and watching them live together and interact with each other, whilst at the same time being aware of human control over sheep, as well as the violence these beings are exposed to, is very present in all my encounters with domesticated sheep. It thus becomes also a part of the artwork.
Using woodcuts allows for multiple prints from a single plate, reinforcing the idea of unity within diversity. The hand-printing process is slow and meditative, fostering a connection with each image. Raw materials like wool and droppings root the work in the reality of sheep life, engaging viewers through touch, smell and texture. Over time, organic elements change, making the artwork dynamic. Insects nesting in the sheep wool can suddenly appear and crawl over the surface of the print, sheep droppings change over time and the materials react with the paper, creating an artwork that is in a process of transformation.