The engraved matrix of the woodblock print is the keystone of Maria Bonomi’s practice as a printmaker and sculptor. To deepen her knowledge of woodblock printing in the 1960s and 1970s, Bonomi trained at the Pratt Institute with Seong Moy. She also travelled to Japan and Maoist China, and studied the techniques practiced in the Amazon. Pedra Robat (1974) is part of a series made in the period after these transformative journeys. Departing from conventional woodblock printing methods, she used two unusually large and heavy wooden matrices. These were engraved using techniques inspired by jade stone carvings she observed in Beijing, which were the product of skills honed across generations of stonecutters. The print is achieved by layering each matrix’s impression. The result is not typically hard-edged. Instead, it seems to vibrate with kinetic energy, a distinctive characteristic of the artist’s printmaking style. Crucial elements of the work are the woodblocks exhibited at the print’s base. Her endless research on the engraved surface led Bonomi to elaborate the vision for an “expanded woodcut”, turning matrices into monumental sculptural installations for public commissions.
—Sofia Gotti
