Abstract
Sound Mirrors is a series of etchings 25cm x 25cm made in 2020
The work is a continuum of themes and motifs developed for the series I Can Still Hear You in 2019
The conversation for the series of etchings began with visits to the Sound Mirrors, I listened.
I began with drawing, often rapidly. I will make numerous visits to the same place, in different seasons, weather and light. The repetitive fieldwork enables the place to be revealed. The layers of complexity become a palimpsest as earlier drawings are reworked like an etching plate, redrawn on top. These initial sketches act as departure points for more complex ideas and a remapping of my journeys. These sketches are the basis for ideas and multi layered conversations about how we navigate place and space.
I’ve often thought there is a place where etching is liminal. As the plate is being etched it’s passing between one state to another. The place while etching is unknown. There is a moment when control is relinquished to the corrosive liquid that will bite the metal. Contributing factors such as weather temperature, newness of the solution contrasted with depletion and weakening impact upon the marks. No matter how many years of experience a printmaker has, there is a moment of the unknown and mystery that will only be revealed when printed. That is the magic and alchemy of etching.
Once I have returned to my studio, there is dislocation from place. I begin with a series of square plates. The square is important as this is a deliberate strategy to depart from the mimetic and representational. Familiarity as the adage goes ‘breeds contempt’ and it is my intention to draw the viewer to something other. Other than representational landscape and literal. This is where abstraction begins. I depart from breakwaters, pylons, drainage dykes, sea and sound mirrors. It is now that I rely on memory and emotion. The prints look for balance using repetition of both circles and grids within a perfect square.
Exhibition Statement March 2020
Tarpey Gallery is proud to present ‘Colours and Contours’, taking place from March 21st – May 3rd . The exhibition features work by eight local artists with international reputations whose work focuses on the landscape. Featuring work in both painting and printmaking, each artist brings their unique perspective to this genre in their chosen medium and discipline.
The work is a continuum of themes and motifs developed for the series I Can Still Hear You in 2019
The conversation for the series of etchings began with visits to the Sound Mirrors, I listened.
I began with drawing, often rapidly. I will make numerous visits to the same place, in different seasons, weather and light. The repetitive fieldwork enables the place to be revealed. The layers of complexity become a palimpsest as earlier drawings are reworked like an etching plate, redrawn on top. These initial sketches act as departure points for more complex ideas and a remapping of my journeys. These sketches are the basis for ideas and multi layered conversations about how we navigate place and space.
I’ve often thought there is a place where etching is liminal. As the plate is being etched it’s passing between one state to another. The place while etching is unknown. There is a moment when control is relinquished to the corrosive liquid that will bite the metal. Contributing factors such as weather temperature, newness of the solution contrasted with depletion and weakening impact upon the marks. No matter how many years of experience a printmaker has, there is a moment of the unknown and mystery that will only be revealed when printed. That is the magic and alchemy of etching.
Once I have returned to my studio, there is dislocation from place. I begin with a series of square plates. The square is important as this is a deliberate strategy to depart from the mimetic and representational. Familiarity as the adage goes ‘breeds contempt’ and it is my intention to draw the viewer to something other. Other than representational landscape and literal. This is where abstraction begins. I depart from breakwaters, pylons, drainage dykes, sea and sound mirrors. It is now that I rely on memory and emotion. The prints look for balance using repetition of both circles and grids within a perfect square.
Exhibition Statement March 2020
Tarpey Gallery is proud to present ‘Colours and Contours’, taking place from March 21st – May 3rd . The exhibition features work by eight local artists with international reputations whose work focuses on the landscape. Featuring work in both painting and printmaking, each artist brings their unique perspective to this genre in their chosen medium and discipline.
| Original language | English |
|---|---|
| Publication status | Published - 21 Mar 2020 |
