It seems like a long time coming but I have finally completed my 50 print dry point etching series ‘Every Photo We Took At The Beach.’
By leaving the anaglypta backgrounds to dry fully after dripping the various colours of acrylic onto them, I was able to ensure that the paint did not run when soaked in the water bath before printing. This was my main concern but the paint stayed on incredibly well.
I believe these outcomes to be a great success. They definitely achieve my intention of injecting colour into my prints as well as presenting the same obscure quality of my other analgypta prints in 22 on Anaglypta. If anything, I think there is a greater loss of detail within these seaside etchings. This is dependant upon the density of marks on the etching plate combined with the consistency of acrylic on the background.
Many times I have been asked about these seaside prints being in my final show and everytime I have clarified that they shall not be. After something like the fifth person had asked me this question, I began to think why I had made this decision.
Since deciding on my final piece for the Degree Show, in my mind the prints on the wall were always black and white. I have been going on and on about wanting colour in my project and now I want to desaturate my work once more. Why is this? It is only sitting here now that I know the answer.
I have always considered images/videos in black and white to represent the past, therefore, it makes sense in my head that my work, fuelled by past photographs, should also be in this format. For me the lack of colour is emblematic of the loss of my own memories.
As I shall not be displaying many of the etching prints I have done, I have been contemplating for a while how best to display them. Sticking them in a sketchbook and mounting them onto larger pieces of paper have both been options but I wish to obtain a way of displaying them which fits best with my project as a whole.
I have decided to make each series into a makeshift photo album by simply attaching them together with string and writing the description (year, location etc) on the back such like my Mum has done for all our family photographs. I think this shall portray the prints in a more informal manner as opposed to making everything look professional and sleek just for the sake of assessment. After all, my project has referenced themes of distress and imperfection…why should all my work not be displayed within this same context?
