Reduction Woodblock

 

We next moved on to trying reduction woodblock. I stuck with the same theme of children.

 

During further research I came across the UN's Secretary General's report on Violence Against Children which was compiled in 2006. Here is a link to the report in case you want to have a read of it: http://www.unviolencestudy.org/

 

One part that struck me was that in 2006 it was reported that there were 8 million children placed into residential care! 8 MILLION!! "Most are in care because of disability, family disintegration, violence in the home and social and economic conditions such as poverty". Children in these 'caring' environments often have to face violence from their care-givers and other children. 'Discipline' if often dished out with beatings, restraints, or by being locked up. More outrageously shock treatment is inflicted, in the guise of treatment, on children with disabilities. The 'reason' / EXCUSE is to "control their behaviour". Also medication is used to make them more 'compliant'.

 

"In at least 77 countries, corporal and other violent forms of punishment are accepted as legal in penal institutions."

 

I decided to work with the numbers from the report and use them in the form of children's building blocks.

 

 

I drew out the above image, reversed it and transferred it onto a wood block. I printed the background cream. I then cut away the background on the woodblock and left just the shape of the blocks. I printed the blocks in pink. I then cut out the detail of the blocks '2', '7' and '6' and printed yellow.

 

 
Next I carved out the detail of '0' and '7' and printed in green.

 

Finally I carved out the detail of '8' and '0' and printed in light blue.

 

 

Here are a few different variations I tried. I don't think the dark blue and red version worked!! I liked the final one which is all higgledy piggledy.