A lot of my artwork depicts people in protective clothing. Two common characters are a bee-keeper and the diver. As my artwork developes I'm coming to understand more and more myself that this other worldly charcater who appears almost without my intending it represents myself and my thoughts about what it is to be a human in the universe.
5 comments:
Hey Brian,
Nice blog you got started here. I really like your work.
I used to do some etching many years ago and thought it would be fun to get back into it.
I was wondering what type press you are using and what size edition you typically print?
Keep up the great work.
Mark
Really enjoying the imagery on your blog. The characters in the bee costumes and deep sea suits are very bizarre. I'm a great fan and look forward to seeing more of your work. I posted a link to your blog at my own art link blog "Momnster Brains" today.
best,
Aeron
Hi Mark, thanks for the comment and queries. Most of the prints so far on the blog are from metal plates which have been printed on a large intaglio etching press. The sort with a massive solid roller where the inked-up plate is run through with dampened paper, rather like a mangle. Mostly my editions are around 30 up to 50 but some are made from plates that wont last long enough to print that many good images and can be as little as 6 or 10. It depends a lot on how the plate is made. Nowadays I use copper plates and ferric chloride to do the biting as it gives fantastic control and detail and is non-toxic.
Beekeeper prints are a treat.Not to single them out,so too are all your other works. Have you seen Bill Woodrows Beekeeper series.I have a book by Paragon press called 'Contemporary Art In Print' which has excellent reproductions of them. The Bill Woodrow Site is a bit buggy at the mo, they come up on google images as little thumbnails. Thought you might like them.He has used caustic acid to bite into lino. I was interested in the ferric chloride. Is it suitable to use at home, fume/safety wise? and can you purchase ferric chloride easily, too?
Cheers David
Hi David...sorry not to have spotted your comments ealier. I'm not sure how long ago you asked. Re-ferric chloride, yes one of the great things about is that it is safe for home use. The first mixing stage when adding crystals to water is noxious and must be done outside but after that the substance will etch copper or aluminium beautifully without offgassing dangerous fumes. I used to use a lot of nitric acid and zinc but the ferric/copper technique is far superior as it bites in a much more precise way, eating downwards mostly giving the possibility of extreme detail rather than biting downwards and outwards as happens with zinc/nitric.
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