Beyond

Beyond combines intaglio and relief printing on a single composition, a hybrid approach Johnson used to create visual tension between incised depth and surface projection. The title suggests spatial or psychological transcendence — forms pressing past a threshold or horizon implied within the pictorial field. The interplay of the two techniques would produce areas where intaglio-printed lines or tonal passages recede into the paper while relief-printed elements sit assertively on the surface, creating a physical as well as illusionistic sense of foreground and depth. Johnson's study of Japanese printmaking traditions, which use raised woodblock surfaces and gradated ink application (bokashi), may inform the relief passages in this work. The combination also allows for contrasts in ink density: intaglio areas tend toward rich, velvety blacks or mid-tones, while relief areas can achieve flatter, more decisive marks. Together, the methods enact visually the movement implied by the title.