Robert Kushner’s “Nahe Nahe II” (meaning soft, sweet and gentle) is a richly colored bouquet of tropical flowers and palm leaves. Kushner combines the delicate lines and bold forms of tropical floral images to create a composition that merges representation with abstraction. The distinctive colors in “Nahe Nahe II” are made with multiple layers of transparent ink from lithographic plates and a woodblock. Overlays of blended colored inks build subtle gradations of color with unusual depth. The woodblock imparts a woodgrain texture that emerges through the layers of colored inks. Fourteen colors were printed from nine plates and one woodblock. After printing, 22kt gold leaf was hand applied to the surface of the print adding a brilliant luster that glows and sets off the composition.
“Nahe Nahe II”
