Catalogue 1 17pp by CeleRicci

THE MASTERS _ 2016

| ETCHING

P R I Z E S

JOHN PURCELL PAPER AWARD £150 worth of paper

EAST LONDON PRINTMAKERS PRIZE One year’s full membership plus ten free open access sessions

PRINTMAKING TODAY PRIZE An editorial feature in the magazine

GALLERIES MAGAZINE PRIZE Full page colour advert RK BURT EXHIBITION AWARD A solo show in the RK Burt Gallery

GREAT ART PRIZE Art materials vouchers to the value of £250

BADGER PRESS AWARD Studio access to the value of £120

HOT BED PRESS BURSARY A six month’s residency at Hot Bed Press. Prize value £500

INTAGLIO PRINTMAKER PRIZE Materials to the value of £150

A B O U T

The Masters, established by the Royal Society of PainterPrintmakers (RE), is a series of annual exhibitions focusing on a particular branch of printmaking. This year’s exhibition is curated by Norman Ackroyd RA RE and devoted to works that employ any intaglio printmaking techniques. The show has an exciting and diverse blend of work by emerging young artists and established professional printmakers. As an art organisation run by artists, the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers is constantly working to create longer-term opportunities for artists and to promote printmaking to a wider audience. Exhibition dates: 9 - 20 November 2016

We are grateful to the Royal Society of Painter Printmakers for inviting us to be involved in this latest edition of ‘The Masters’ series of exhibitions as we have a particular passion for intaglio at Eames Fine Art. Intaglio printmaking, encompassing the venerable techniques of etching, aquatint, engraving, drypoint and mezzotint, puts such a rich language of mark making at an artist’s disposal. It is a language that can express a rich, deep tonality alongside the most fragile, elegant line in the same breath. There is also a tangible heft, a weight to intaglio printmaking that is an echo of the huge pressure required on the press to force an image from the lines and crevices made below the surface of a plate. We describe printmaking methods to clients and visitors on a daily basis, but we can never quite capture the ‘magic’ of peeling back the paper from the plate to reveal a new print. Any printmaker will tell you that this moment of revelation is hard earned and there is a fine balance to creating a successful print. Orchestrating tone, line (and particularly impressively) colour to create a sophisticated composition without stifling the image by overworking the plate is a delicate balance to strike. Furthermore, while intaglio can reward good draughtsmanship and the effects of scratching or biting with acid into a plate can produce beguiling and beautiful results, it is not a method to be hidden behind. It will expose a lack of expertise and talent very quickly and we have immense respect for any artist who can wrestle with these various tensions to create a vibrant beautiful artwork. There are manifold frustrations to this way of working but the ‘alchemy’ of intaglio printmaking, the sheer joy of exploring its almost boundless potential for mark making, presents an irresistible challenge to a certain kind of creative intelligence. The roll-call of artists that have taken up this challenge at some point in their career from Rembrandt to Goya, from Picasso to Hockney stands as a rich and vibrant tradition that demands immediate critical respect and provides a vital foundation for artists working in the medium today. A signal and enduring contribution to this tradition has been made by Norman Ackroyd, whose evocations of the British Isles in etching and aquatint have been captivating collectors for over 50 years. His touch can be light and enigmatic when capturing the fleeting detail of sea-spray or a bird in flight. He can also imbue an image with a stirring gravitas when conveying the monumentality of rock formations and the grandeur of topography in even his smallest plates. All the while, Norman’s work retains an acute emotional charge as he navigates the space between the fleeting and the ephemeral and the enduring and the permanent. He continues to provide us with a consummate demonstration of the wide range of expression available to the intaglio printmaker. So, who better to select and curate this ‘Masters’ show of intaglio printmaking? It is wonderful to join him in celebrating the fine work of so many contemporary printmakers who are exploring the creative potential of intaglio techniques to such exciting, fresh and vibrant effect. Rebecca & Vincent Eames | Directors, Eames Fine Art

From top left (clockwise): Antonio Canau, Tie in Gold!, digital print | Hilary Powell, Farewell Rock: The Last Miners of South Wales - Simon Sam “Thomas”, lithograph Peter S Smith, Passing By, wood engraving | David Robertson, Collateral Damage, wood engraving From top left (clockwise): Antonio Canau, Tie in Gold!, digital print | Hilary Powell, Farewell Rock: The Last Miners of South Wales - Simon Sam “Thomas”, lithograph Peter S Smith, Passing By, wood engraving | David Robertson, Collateral Damage, wood engraving