|
The medium of etching is perhaps one of the most underappreciated and yet emotionally expressive forms of image-making, and sits quietly on its noble perch much like the way great film music helps to hold a film together while working unobtrusively in the background.
Under the umbrella of etching, wherein the artist scratches through an acid-resisting waxy coating on a metal plate, there are a number of ways to achieve intricate textures and tones with processes like aquatint or sugar lift, amongst others. An artist can scratch decisive lines by hand, which is why form and shadow are often built up with many hashmarks, or the artist can use the more involved process of alternating coatings and acid baths to create subtle gradations of light and dark. It is an incomparable method, full of nuance and beauty, and the results are often so silently stunning that they have the power to envelop the viewer.
|
