Prunella Clough Bubble Wrap, 1993

Printmaking has a central role in Prunella Clough’s oeuvre.  Clough begun making lithographs on her own press as early as 1948. In the 1950’s she had access to an etching press and produced a number of rarely shown plates. She collaborated with Curwen Studio and went on to experiment with a variety of techniques over the years with Hope (Sufferance), Sky Editions and Gresham Studios. The collaborative nature of printmaking, both in the studio and with her students, provided a counterbalance to her otherwise solitary practice centred on painting.  

Prunella Clough created the screenprint Bubble Wrap at Curwen Studio. Wasteland rubbish and neglected objects were the essence of Prunella Clough’s increasingly abstract compositions. Printmaking allowed her to create effects which can’t be obtained in painting, forging editions and monoprints which convey the fabric and feel of her environment.