Texas Grassroots: Botanical Prints by David J. Webb

These large scale monoprints, printed directly from the plant specimen, represent the nexus of art and science. Up to 44'' in length, these prints are evocative of Asian brush painting in their simple strokes and elegant forms. These grass prints, titled by the grass genus and species names, represent a scientifically precise visual record of botanical specimens. The specimens were collected in the urban centers of Houston, and pressed in the artist's studio in a large herbarium press, before being inked and run through a standard 30'' x 48'' etching press. Grasses with their parallel veins possess great internal strength and are ideal for printing. Using the monoprint technique the artist may achieve far greater detail than other printing techniques.

David J. Webb is an artist working principally at Glassell School, The Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. His various works on paper have been seen in Glassell exhibitions. He has numerous block prints, etchings, lithographs, and photographs in private collections from Houston to Tokyo, Zurich, and Poltava, Ukraine. Strongly informed by a background in genetics and evolutionary biology, his work functions on the cusp between art and science.