Module 6 - Painting and Printing

Etching - Rembrandt van Rijn

Etching is a print technique where a metal plate is covered in ground, either soft or hard, that protect it from the acid used to produce the printing plate. Then the artist draws something as they would a pen and paper drawing making sure to use the details of line to produce contour, shading and outline. Once the artist’s drawing has marked the plate the artist uses a hard needle like tool to scratch the drawing onto the ground to expose the plate. Once finished the artist uses acid to “etch” the areas no longer covered by the ground. If done properly the result is a print. Like the one pictured below.

Shell (Conus Marmoreus); state II
Rembrant van Rijn
etching, drypoint and burin, 9.7 x 13.2 cm
Erich Lessing Culture and Fine Arts Archives

Rembrandt, a Dutch artist who is sometime called "one of the great prophets of civilization," for his knowledge of the Bible and for his teachings. He was considered one of the greatest teachers among the Dutch artists. His knowledge of various art techniques and dedication to his craft is the basis for his greatness.

Wallpaper Design - Charles Burchfield

An artist local to the Buffalo, NY area and namesake of the Buffalo State College art center is talented in many areas. For one he is talented in print making. A number of his prints are used for wallpaper. An example of this type of work is depicted below.

Morning Glories
Charles Burchfield
print
Burchfield Penny Art Center

Watercolor - Charles Burchfield  

The multi- talented Burchfield has a number of paintings that are displayed at the Burchfield Penny Art Center located on the Buffalo State College campus. His use of watercolor and "dry brush" technique, as in the following painting is an example, exhibits how one can get a realistic looking portrait from the use of simple media.

Black Iron
Charles Burchfield
watercolor, 29 x 41 in.
The Carnegie Arts of the United States Collection

Burchfield was born in Ashtabula, OH and lived there most of his life where his dedication to depicting nature was of utmost importance. He did the work not for art's sake but for the sake of capturing the beauty of nature. Burchfield was dedicated to the use of "dry brush" technique when painting his watercolors. He wanted to depict the classical qualities of painting that was found in works created using oil paints.When he moved to Buffalo, NY in 1924 he got a job at at the H.M. Birge wallpaper company, where a number of his prints became recognized as great artwork. In his later years he had a bout with dementia and his work reflected the stigma. His brush strokes became less deliberate and more sweeping to impart the sense of grandeur and being close to the gods.

Fresco - Diego Rivera

The fresco technique involves the use of pigmented limewater over wet plaster - known as buon fresco - or over dry plaster - known as fresco secco. The buon fresco method lasts longer because the paint is applied while the plaster is still wet allowing the paint to infuse with the plaster. The fresco secco - or “dry” method - doesn’t hold up over time as well because the paint is applied to a dry wall, and the paint doesn’t have the ability to infuse with the plaster. In adverse weather conditions the fresco secco has been known to flake off as in Michelangelo’s Sistine Chapel. The work listed below an example of fresco is done by Diego Riviera.

The History of Cuernavaca and Morelos: The Conquest, detailed Battle of the Aztecs & Spaniards

Rivera Diego

fresco

Palacio de Cortes, Cuernavaca

Rivera Diego, considered the greatest Mexican artist of the twentieth century, claimed that the "...artist isn't capable of loving until he forgets himself and sacrifices himself if necessary ...." This became a basis for Diego's politics and his conviction to art. He began in Europe where he discovered his medium of choice. Fresco, was a way he could display his political concepts through his artwork. He was commissioned by the Stock Exchange and the California School of Fine arts to produce his grand fresco murals for public display. One controversial piece in which he commissioned by the Rockefellers  to paint a fresco in the RCA lobby. The mural was ultimately destroyed because he depicted Lennon leading workers in a protest of the labor party. He returned to Mexico to complete the fresco mural there.

Mixed Medium - Robert Rauschenberg

This painting entitled Female Figure (Blueprint) is one of the few pieces that are not a collage of icons and abstract forms. I think he captures the essence of the idealism of womanhood at that time in America’s history. The light originating from the loins suggests the power of fertility in spiritual form, while the hands raised about the face appear to be a measure of protection from the forces of darkness in the surrounding shadows. The overall context gives off the ambience of deity, or an angelic quality. The piece is done as an architectural drawing would be, on blueprint paper, which is the reason for the Mixed Medium claim.

Female Figure (Blueprint)

Robert Rauschenberg

monoprint on blueprint paper, 8'9" x 3'

University of California, San Diego

The second picture here is a better example of Mixed Medium work. The ordinary objects mixed with the painted material are typical of Mixed Medium. The collage of painted work on the side of the box is a typical style used by Rauschenberg along with the everyday objects, such as the rooster on the top and the pillow which everything is precariously purched upon.

Odalisque

Robert Rauschenberg

freestanding combine-painting, 83" x 25.25" x 25.125"

Museum Ludwig

Robert Rauschenberg is an artist who is very respected by his peers. It is said that he was an inspiration to many of his contemporaries. The Rauschenberg Foundation art gallery has many works that were sent as gifts from artists with which he collaborated over the years. Some of the most well-known artists include Andy Warhol, William De Kooning, Jasper Johns and Roy Lichtenstein, to name a few. Even today he continues to assist striving artists through sales at the Rauschenberg Foundation art gallery. Many of the pieces are one-of-a-kind works that are donated out of admiration and respect for Robert Rauschenberg. It is not easy to say whether Rauschenberg was the inspiration for Andy Warhol’s “Factory” studio or if it was solely Warhol’s doing. Rauschenberg’s loft on Lafayette St in New York City resembled the same type of atmosphere as the “Factory.” Many were invited to enjoy the open party atmosphere, much like the Warhol “Factory.”

 Collage - Jess (Collins)

This piece by Jess Collins is an interesting example of collage. The many different pictures that contribute to the overall form of a person squatting next to a tree can be seen for its distinct parts upon closer inspection. Click on the picture to see a larger version to distinguish the detail.

Mouse's Tale
Jess
Paste-up, 47 x 32 cm.
San Francisco Museum of Modern Art

Jess (Collins), was born in Long Beach, CA and worked on the Manhattan Project after joining the military. With the threat of world obliteration, Jess decided to focus solely on his artwork. Many of his pieces were centered on the concepts of the chemistry, alchemy, and the occult. He did a few pieces that were done in the well know "paint by number" style most amateur artists are familiar with. He was noted as an illustrator of the Dick Tracy comics.