Etching

Tuesday’s print: As you may have gathered already, the black and white “classic prints” (etchings, engravings, lithographs, by artists such as Martin Lewis and Stow Wengenroth) are my favorites. Recently, I discovered a contemporary etcher named DeAnn Prosia, whose richly textured prints have a very similar feel to Wengenroth’s. She is a New Yorker, and many of her etchings portray quintessential New York scenes–very similar to Martin Lewis, but set in the now (instead of Lewis’s work which was largely portraying his time–1910s to 1960s).

This piece is called Under the Elevated. There are numerous places in Manhattan and the 3 boroughs on the subway, where scenes like this could be found. I look at this print and it makes me remember what it feels like to live in the city. I lived in Astoria at the end of the R subway line, which was elevated there, and the neighborhood there felt similar to this.

The second in my series of daily print posts: this is the work of John Taylor Arms, a leading figure among American printmakers of his time, (early 20th century) whose primary mode was etching. Most of his etchings were buildings, bridges, and streets, all across the world. He did many prints of French, Italian and British churches and cathedrals. I particularly enjoy this print because it’s not a single building, but rather a broader view of the city of Stockholm looking out from City Hall (the columns in the foreground are part of the City Hall Building). The view includes Gamla Stan (Old Town) as well as the waterfront.