Existing comment:
Print Techniques Displayed in this Exhibition:
* Woodcut is one of the earliest printing techniques. Here the positive image is created by cutting into a wood panel around lines that will then be inked with a brayer and printed. Though woodcut could yield sophisticated results in the hands of artists such as Durer, the medium, as used by later artists such as the German expressionists, was also prized for its crudeness.
* Engraving requires great precision and can produce results that might seem mechanical in the hands of lesser artists. In this technique, lines are cut directly into a metal plate with a tool called a burin. Ink is then forced down into the lines, and the plate is wiped clean. The inked plate and a piece of dampened paper are run through an etching press to produce the image.
* Drypoint is a variant of engraving where the artist uses a stell- or gem-tipped tool, rather than a burin, to engrave or draw directly into the metal plate. The tool raises shavings of metal on either side of the line. The line and the shavings hold ink and transfer it to the paper when printed, producing a velvety line called burr. Works exhibiting a great deal of burr connote an early impression and are highly prized. The Milton Avery in this exhibition exhibits clear areas of burr. Drypoint is often used in conjunction with etching to add richness and depth.
* Etching is highly valued for the freedom with which is can be handled. The artist uses a metal plate covered with a layer of wax. This was ground is then drawn into with a sharp instrument, and the resulting lines are bitten away in an acid bath. First employed extensively in the 17th century, etching regained popularity in the 19th century when the etching revival movement emerged with artists such as Whistler, Meryon, and others.
* Aquatint, like etching, uses a wax ground on which the designs are drawn. However, the resulting areas of varying tones can be attributed to a difficult process involving partial uncovering of waxy areas and several trips to the acid bath to hold up a range of tonal values. Aquatint may be reinforced by the use of etching or drypoint. Goya was perhaps the greatest master of aquatint. |