Reversal

Reversal (2015) is a woodcut printed on mura washi, a Japanese paper valued for its irregular, cloud-like fiber distribution that creates soft tonal variation across the surface. The title suggests an inversion of form or color — a compositional strategy Vollmer employs to explore the relationship between positive and negative space. Printed on uneven washi, ink absorption differs across the sheet, producing organic edges and translucent passages that no other substrate replicates. The work reflects Vollmer's sustained interest in the expressive potential of mokuhanga materials themselves, treating paper and pigment as equal partners in the image rather than merely support and mark.