Etchings
Etching is a difficult yet beguiling medium with a long history that presents a wide and rich field of possibility. For an artist like Brian Michael Clarke, it is the physicality of the medium which makes it so attractive: the physical working and reworking of metal plates, biting them in acid; and interplay between plate, ink and paper. All of these aspects require a peculiar mixture of patience, tenacity, a certain boldness of vision and a willingness to experiment. While the process can be unforgiving or capricious at times, the accomplished etcher is rewarded with work that is imbued with a kind of inimitable sense of material presence; hard-won as it is, the work takes on a life of its own.
Roseberry ToppinG & Pathways series
Here we see a selection from two of Brian Michael Clarke’s most distinctive series. These bold monochromatic images harness the physicality of the plate’s impression as well as a rich black ink to make images of direct expression.
The ‘Tree of Strings’ series
This series of etching was inspired by the music of composer Harrison Birtwistle; in particular, his noted string quarted ‘The Tree of Strings’.
The ‘Birtwistle’ series
This series of etching was inspired by the music of composer Harrison Birtwistle; the artist allowed the forms to evolve as something like a ‘visual score’.
The Elgin Marble series
This series of over 15 small etchings was inspired by the ‘Parthenon Frieze’ currently on display at the British Museum. There is a classical simplicity and coolness of design to the underlying structure which unifies these pieces; while, at the same time, elements seem free to jostle against, and break out of, those confines with a kind of rhythmic compulsion.