Exploring Materials: Steel

Exploring Materials: Steel

After looking at the work of Mandy Payne and seeing how she uses materials to reflect the subject matter of her images, I gave some thought as to how I could introduce into my practice some new materials to reflect my areas of interest and open up some new ways of working.

Thinking about factories and the cement works at South Ferriby in particular, I felt that the overriding experience of seeing the huge, man-made group of industrial buildings was the impact of the use of steel for its construction. The buildings are powerful, both in size and use of materials, which give the whole structure sturdiness and solidity. Light plays off the surface areas and emphasises the angular blocks of buildings, the roundness of containers and the connecting chutes between them (see photograph below).

Looking from afar, the site is a mass of shapes - tubes, rectangles, squares, planes and curves. I therefore thought that a good idea would be to capture a close-up view and really emphasise the materials from which the factory is made by being selective in choosing to depict a confined area.



Process

I knew that steel was a material that could be used for etching, but that it was not very popular. I did some research and discovered that the reason was that steel produces a very dark image, and light tones are very difficult, if not impossible, to achieve. However, as I considered that the connection between the material of the actual buildings and the use of steel as a plate for a print would be a great idea. I decided to experiment.

I managed to locate a decent sized piece of steel and thought further about the concept. One of the attractions and ambiguities of the factory site is its setting in a rural landscape. As I wanted to make a close up view of the structure, I thought of how I could convey the contrast between the hard landscape and the natural setting. The steel would produce a somewhat "clinical" effect and as I had walked along the river bank and looked up at the buildings, I realised that I was surrounded by the early signs of spring. I saw the factory set behind some branches of rustic twigs with fat buds about to burst open, and imagined that a print based on this view would enable me to contrast the two features of the site quite well.

I put a soft ground (wax-like substance) onto the steel plate and covered it with thin newsprint paper. I then drew my image onto the paper, and the pencil line dug into the wax below and made a groove. When the image was finished, I placed the steel plate into the etching acid for about half an hour. This was quite a long period to enable the acid to eat into the grooves made by the pencil to create the image.

I then removed the soft ground and inked up the plate . The result is shown below.

 

Cement Works, South Ferriby, etching on steel

Outcome

As expected, the print is very dark. I did make some highlights on parts of the factory structure and edges of the branches and buds in the foreground. This worked quite well. I think that the use of steel and the soft ground worked well for this experiment. Although the print is dark, I think that it suits the subject matter. The soft ground process suited both the hard lines of the cement works buildings and the strong lines and form of the twigs. The fact that steel was used for the plate adds to the work as a whole, as it links with the concept of using the fabric from which the factory is built.

Future use

This experiment has encouraged me to be more exploratory with my use of materials. I think that if I can think of a connection between the use of certain materials and the choice of subject matter, then that adds to the concept and elevates the outcome. I would definitely use steel again, but not for a delicate image or one where light is of the essence. I think it perhaps would work best for industrial, urban, or dark settings. Similarly, I found that the soft ground I applied allowed me to work well in this instance with the strong lines and shapes. The soft ground was very flexible, easy to work with, and I think produced a good result.

I will look at using other materials to contrast hard and soft landscapes and see how they work out.

Research: Mandy Payne

Mandy Payne (b.1964)

I came across the artist Mandy Payne due to her use of concrete for the base upon which she paints many of her paintings. She is a painter/printmaker who is inspired by the urban landscape. Her main interest is social housing, regeneration and changing city environments. I think  that it is an inspired choice to use concrete for her paintings as it is the foundation of the buildings in her work and is a metaphor for the housing she depicts. It made me think how I could bring relevant materials into my drawings, prints and paintings.

For a number of years Mandy Payne has been exploring Park Hill, a Grade II listed Sheffield council estate and an example of Brutalist architecture on a grand scale. The site resonates with me as I attended Sheffield University and got to know the city well over the three years that I was there. It stands proudly on one of the hills which dominate Sheffield. Part of the estate is now being converted to luxury flats, but much of it is now boarded up and derelict.
 

As well as working on concrete, Mandy Payne brings another element of modern day city living into her work, in that she uses spray paint. The spray paint references graffiti and she has concrete cast into small "canvases" to work on directly. The work is built up in layers, creating flat areas of colour and then she uses oil paint for the final details.

Mandy Payne, Everything of Value



Although Mandy Payne does not feature the natural environment much in her images - probably because there is not much about - sometimes a solitary trees appears. The lack of plants and vegetation adds to the starkness of her images. When a plant or tree does feature, I think that it emphasises the lack of natural habitat and the "brutal" nature of the environment. Payne works with locations that are often neglected or abandoned and that aspect also features in my work and thoughts of things "left behind".

Mandy Payne, Stone Lithograph



  Relevance to my work

I have thought about how I could make associations between the use of materials and my subject matter and interests. some of my current ideas include:

- use of water from the estuary/river to mix with paint or to soak my printing paper in

- mud from the river bank to mix with paint or to make my own pigments

- pieces of "found" concrete/abandoned objects upon which I could draw or paint

- the use of "found" objects to make collages or collagraphs

I intend to explore and experiment with some of these ideas.

https://newlight-art.org.uk/mandy-payne-concrete-painting/

https://www.northernsoul.me.uk/sheffield-mandy-payne/

https://www.helixgallery.com/mandypayne.html#

 

 

 

Research: Michael Landy

Michael Landy (b. 1963)

I first became aware of the artist Michael Landy through his installation Break Down (2001), during which he destroyed all of his possessions, using an intricate production line process which was open to the public. Consequently, I was surprised to see how he later made a series of 37 detailed etchings of weeds, in a very traditional manner. Nourishment was his response to the weeds he found growing in the streets.

Michael Landy, Creeping Buttercup, 2002, etching

He has described why he was motivated to engage in this project,

‘they are marvellous, optimistic things that you find in inner London …. They occupy an urban landscape which is very hostile and they have to be adaptable and find little bits of soil to prosper’ (quoted in Buck).

These thoughts are in line with my own, about how nature relates to the urban landscape and how in difficult circumstances plants manage to survive. Weeds thrive in often inhospitable conditions, and often grow between paving stones or on waste ground.

Landy collected a number of these plants and took them back to his studio where he made studies of their structures, including detailed renderings of roots, leaves and flowers.

 

Michael Landy, Annual Wall Rocket, 2002, etching

 

The Tate holds some of these works in their collection, and an interesting article (Mabey, 2011) considers how these "lowly" plants have featured in works over many  years.

Weeds began to appear in the foreground of landscapes during the Dutch Golden Age, in paintings by Jan Wynants and Jacob van Ruisdale. Even the paintings of Claude Lorrain feature weeds in his rural, idyllic scenes. The burdock was especially popular due to its distinctive appearance and can be seen in the English landscapes  of Gainsborough, Stubbs, Joseph Wright and John Linnell.

 

JMW Turner, Study of the Leaves of a Burdock, 1799-1800, watercolour on paper, sketchbook

 

Turner made  a study of the plant, which emphasises the sculptural quality of the leaves. In the 20th century, the humble weed has also been a regular feature in landscapes and was particularly popular during the war years when the English countryside was under threat.

 

Eliot Hodgkin, Undergrowth, 1941, Tempera on canvas 

The examples of  paintings by George Shaw which I depicted in my previous post, illustrate how relevant weeds are to evoke mood and feelings of hope in areas of abandonment and decay.

Relevance to my work

Effects of drought and global warmimg

I am  continuing to develop my theme on the relationship between human activity and the natural landscape. When nature is under threat from industrialisation, re-development and natural disasters, such as those caused by climate change, it is important to consider how plants still manage to survive, thrive, and make a difference to an otherwise bleak and harsh landscape. They spring from nowhere, find cracks and crevices, grow up and around abandoned industrial machinery and things left behind. As changes take place, they provide a constant reminder of nature's resilience. Durer's The Large piece of Turf,  is as relevant now as it was then. It captures all the feelings of nature at its simplest.

 

Albrecht Durer, The Large Piece of Turf, 1503, watercolour and gouache on cardboard

These thoughts are becoming important to me as the concepts behind my practice take shape and develop.

 

https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/learning/associate-artist-scheme/michael-landy

https://www.tate.org.uk/context-comment/articles/lowly-weed-has-its-day

https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/landy-creeping-buttercup-p78730   

 Louisa Buck, ‘Champion of the urban weed’, The Art Newspaper, December 2002.

 

Research : Artist George Shaw

George Shaw (b. 1966)

I have been researching the work of George Shaw, as his ideas resonate with my own. I have watched videos about his practice, including interviews with him. Shaw was nominated for the Turner Prize in 2011 and recently exhibited at the National Gallery through the associate artist scheme.. He speaks very powerfully about what inspires him, and in a down to earth and thought provoking way.

Shaw's work is representational and reflects his upbringing on a Council Estate in Coventry. His images are realistic landscapes of this area and other works inspired by his past and other similar views. He is very much engaged by memory, his Catholic upbringing, and change. His work is devoid of people, but they are there in essence, from things left behind, or as Shaw says, there "like ghosts".

Shaw works in Humbrol paints, which are enamel based, with a very glossy finish. They allow Shaw to depict images with fine detail, and the paints give character to the works and a unique quality. In many ways, Shaw's work is conventional and yet the subject matter and materials used, take his work out of that category. In many ways, Shaw's paintings have an "other worldliness" about them, which suits the subject matter, scenes with feeling and a touch of nostalgia.

Relevance to my work

I have chosen some images, illustrated below, which emphasise key elements which chime with my ideas - such as the relationship between the natural world and humans and the way that human activity is reflected in the landscape. Shaw depicts a banal landscape, but populated by beauty. I was interested to learn that as well as painting, Shaw is also a very effective drawer and printmaker, which forms part of my practice, and is an integral part of it.

George Shaw, Scenes from The Passion: The Blossomiest Blossom, 2001

 

George Shaw, Scenes from The Passion: Late, 2002

 

George Shaw, Scenes from The Passion: Time Machine, 2010

George Shaw, Untitled, 2005, Etching

 

George Shaw, Untitled, 2005, Pencil

 

https://www.theguardian.com/artanddesign/gallery/2011/feb/13/art-george-shaw-in-pictures

https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/learning/associate-artist-scheme/george-shaw

https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/past/george-shaw-my-back-to-nature

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD6tOP2XtS0

http://visualarts.britishcouncil.org/collection/artists/shaw-george-1966/objects/all/initial/a

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P_9gmfibNgc

 

 





 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Experimenting: "Open Bite" Etching

Experimenting: "Open Bite" Etching

I have used aluminium on a number of occasions for dry point etching. It is soft enough to be able to scratch into the surface relatively easily. However, last year, I used aluminium in an experiment for etching and aquatint. The disadvantage is that aluminium does not produce a "white" finish and sometimes has some imperfections. However, I find that images produced from aluminium often have a lot of character.

I was going to repeat this experiment for an image I wanted to create of a creek at South Ferriby, where I had seen some old boats moored up to a rickety set of ancient landing stages, and which were exposed due to low tide. The mud around the boats was also an interesting feature.

However, talking to a colleague I learned that aluminium, can also be used for an "open bite" process, which eliminates the use of the aquatint box process. Tone is produced by "stopping out" the tonal areas, the lightest tone first, by immersing the aluminium plate direct into a bath of copper sulphate to etch direct into the tonal areas. I thought that it would be a good idea to experiment with this process and see what the outcome would be.

Process

I applied a hard ground to my piece of aluminium and then used my dry point tool to scratch my image into the surface. I then plunged the plate into the bath of copper sulphate for 20 minutes for the initial etching. This produced a line drawing, however, the image was very poor, possibly due to my not scratching hard enough into the hard ground, the imperfections of the aluminium, or that I had not left it long enough in the copper sulphate.

 

(1) Initial Line Etching

Anyway, I felt that the image was good enough for me to proceed to the next stage. I considered that I could use the process of adding tone to try and enhance the image.

I used "stop out" varnish to highlight the key areas where the light was falling, and then immersed the plate back in the copper sulphate. I then repeated the process to create a mid tone, and the darkest areas, leaving the plate in to edge for the final time for about 30 minutes.

Outcome

(2) Tone Added using the "Open Bite" method

When I printed the image I was surprised at what a good print I had created using this process. This outcome was especially pleasing considering how "bad" the initial print had turned out. The "open bite" process had successfully added not only tone, but also clarified the image, which had been very poor to begin with.

Future Use

I will use this method again where I want to create tone and character on an aluminium plate. It proved that I do not have to use the aquatint box to do this. The process will be useful to create good tonal effects, and also to help create "mood". It makes a line drawing more interesting and challenging. I will still use zinc for more "formal" or detailed results, and where I want to create really white areas.

Experimenting: Combining Techniques

Experimenting: Combining Techniques

Dry Point Etching and Screen Printing

When I have made my dry point etchings I have often wondered how I could enhance the image by the addition of another technique - for example to add colour or enhance the theme or mood.

I decided to try an experiment with my dry point etching of an old rope and driftwood which I found at
South Ferriby. (see post of 24 January, 2019).

The rope had a natural swing to it and a lot of atmosphere with its tasselled end where the rope had begun to unravel over time. I felt that the image conjured up feelings of the sea, ships, and the passage of time. I wanted to evoke a feeling of days gone by, the English coast,  and the work of mariners who used such ropes in their every day life.

I felt that the addition of some soft blues, yellows and browns would complement the subject - and  thoughts of sand, sea and worn, aged driftwood.

Stage 1

Transferring the image of the dry point etching onto a screen print.

Fortunately the image was sufficiently clear to transfer well onto the screen and I printed a test in black to check the result.

 

Dry print transferred onto a screen print

Stage 2

I selected a number of subtle acrylic screen print inks to reflect my aims of evoking the seashore and boats - soft yellow, pale umber and a sludgy blue.

I placed the image under a blank screen and painted some shapes on the screen to reflect the subject matter below. I then pulled the screen print down a number of times to create different coloured effects and shapes on the paper below, using the "open screen" printing process.

I then placed the screen with the image of the rope and driftwood over the coloured images and used black ink to pull down the image onto the pre-prepared coloured images which I inserted below.

Outcome

The images all came out well and had a feeling of nostalgia of sea, sand and days gone by - feelings of a lost maritime industry which pervades the east coast of England.

 

 

 

I learned a lot during this experiment:

- I can re-use this technique for a number of my other prints where I want to enhance mood or add colour.
-The way that the printing ink is applied freely using the "open screen" process added movement and life to the print.
- The technique allows for different interpretations through the addition of different colours or shapes during the open screen process.
- I will be able to link the effects with my research into landscape and the work of other artists, such as Prunella Clough and Elizabeth Blackadder.

Future use

I feel that the combination of the two processes can enhance my practice, particularly as it allows my hand made images (dry points, drawings etc) to be transposed onto a screen. This means that I can make many copies and then experiment and manipulate them to add background shapes and colour to get different effects. The process also adds an air of life and spontaneity to the images.

Work Planning

Work Planning

 

My Studio

Unfortunately, since January I have been suffering from a number of health issues and ended up in hospital with pneumonia. I am only now just starting to get back to normal -  although I have tried to carry on with my practice as much as possible. Now I am concentrating on making up for lost time and cracking on with the practical side of my practice. I have been thinking of the best way forward, and set out my plan below.

Key points

I intend to really focus on my key theme. Following on from my previous research and ideas, I now  summarise my main area of interest:

Practice Statement (summary)

I am interested in how human activity  relates to and interacts with the natural landscape. Ways of life such industry, housing and leisure impose themselves onto the land, but nature often finds ways of fighting back and surviving. Things left behind get taken over, and plants and trees blend in to soften edges and add comfort to an otherwise hard landscape. It is this concept and process which informs my practice.

Way forward

- To explore exciting and interesting themes from the ideas based on my practice statement

- To seek out and identify examples of the complementary and survival process of nature

- To use site specific examples to hone in on the theme (currently South Ferriby)

- To experiment and play with painting, drawing, and printmaking, using a range of processes and media

- To continue to research and learn from other practitioners in my field.

Specifics

Drawing

- To create a number of pen and ink drawings on the theme, ranging in content, format and size. Possibly making larger drawings to cover a wall to emphasise the way nature takes over, or to create a scroll, which unwinds to depict the local flat landscape.

Painting

- To paint a series of works using a limited palette, to play with colour and stimulate my ability, knowledge and expertise in this area. I shall experiment with oil paints due to their flexibility, working on canvas or board.

Print Making

Printmaking is very technical. I aim to concentrate on experimenting in the following areas;
- dry point etching
- etching with acid on hard and soft grounds
- aquatint (process to add tone)
- screen printing, concentrating on exploring the best use of my drawing and painting skills
- adding colour through various methods
- possibly aiming to create an artist's book from some of my works

Change and Development

As I move forward with my practice, it is probable that my ideas and expertise will develop further and change and grow.

My blog will follow my progress.