Roman Klonek - (DE)

Roman Klonek, born in Kattowitz/Poland, has a spot for old fashioned cartoons, especially east european styles.
In the 90s he studied Graphic Arts in Duesseldorf and discovered a passion for woodcut printing.

Since 15 years now, he is doing posters with a wide range of whimsical creatures, mostly half animal/half human, preferential in awkward situations. 
You will find a bizarre balancing act between propaganda, folklore and pop. 
He works together with friends in a studio in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Artist Statement
I do woodcut printings, more precise, I do them with my favorite technique, the “lost cut”. That means you can print all colors with only one plate.
The advantage is that you dont need to carve a plate for a every color.
The disadvantage is, that when your print is done, you can not add another one. After printing a certain number with the first color, the number of prints is set.

Especially I like the ostensibly appearing of anachronism.
Like from an old story. Its not really contemporary. 
Thats likely because the medium by itself is not really contemporary.
 You have to imagine in the old days of woodcut printing it was a common method
to reproduce images and types – and all the little mistakes, coming along with
the imperfection of the wood, has been knowingly accepted.
So one can say in the old days they did woodcut printing in spite of the mistakes and today you do it because of the mistakes. 
And actually these mistakes are responsible for an extra charm. They are also something like a guarantor for authenticity. Because every single one has its own little faults,
 and therefore its always an individual, a unique.