Lithography, printed with six stones/colors at Norske Grafikeres Verksted in Oslo.

This work is Bjørn Båsen's first selfmade lithography. Båsen is frequently inspired by literature, and this image is based on Cormac McCarthy's novel "Blood Meridian", which is set in 19th century Texas. The print shows a shattered porcelain chandelier casting the shadow of a burning building. The decor is lifted from classical Western motifs.

This is Bjørn Båsen's first time working through the entire process of lithography. Lithography is a relief printing technique from the end of the 18th century, based on the mutual repulsion of oil and water. First, the lithography stone is ground down to a coarse but even surface. Then the image is drawn on the stone with ink or crayon. As both contain fat, they protect the drawing when the surface is treated with a mixture of gum arabic and acid. The acid dissolves the parts of the surface not covered by crayon or ink, leaving behind the drawing. The next step is mixing the printing inks, and dispensing it onto large rollers. These are then rolled over the stone for an initial trial print. To saturate the image on the stone with ink, this process has to be repeated up to ten times. When the stone is thoroughly saturated the printing can begin. The ink is rolled onto the stone and covered with paper, both of which are then run through the printing press. If a more vibrant look is desired, multiple colors and values can be printed onto the same single print. To accomplish this, a new stone is made for the additional color, and the etching and printing is repeated over the same motif.