The original inspiration for my work stems from beauty found within 'The Ruin'. The rough surfaces of an eroding structure or place, once built as a strong symbol of human presence now crumbling in our modern surroundings. This has become more ambiguous through the experimentation, and developing of the understanding of the etching process. Although rooted from original imagery, the experimentation in the medium has created new outcomes and directions.
Each impression added to the flat bed picture plane of the etching plate creates a new image, this continually evolves and abstracts each time new ground is laid. Each layer contains space and time creating the trappings of stillness, silence, a void.
The soft ground process interested me most as it creates instant abstracted patterns and shapes. I have also combined plates and can see how I can take these textures and slowly build an abstracted image. Combining plates creates an unknown end attained by latency and confidence in the technical process.
Mixing up the layers and colours creates both order and disorder. Happy accidents have become purposeful experiments.
Within these areas I have developed more complexity in print. Playing with scale and space gives prints new dimensions, just adding more space around the edge can completely change the perspective of the image. With each print comes a different outcome. Viscosity of the ink, using transparency to create different layers of tone, drying times and using a variety of colours has created a variability in my experimentation and it has developed exciting new ways of working.
The images inspired by the initial degradation of surface reforms within new impressions, this establishes the deterioration of the past back into the present. The eroded surface regenerates through the interpretation of print.