PASTICHE

According to the Collins dictionary, a pastiche is an artistic compilation made of bits from various sources.  This collection of solarplate etchings is an example of juxtaposed parts becoming a new whole. I have selected a small subset of my solarplates, made from original photographs, and reused them in each piece in order to create a visual collage composed of multiple prints. These images are quilt-like and evoke a bygone era, a brush with antiquity albeit in modern times. Seeing the repeated plates, I hope the viewer will “read” the print series as part of a larger visual story.

These solarplate etchings are 18 x 14 with the exception of the diptych which is 30 x 18. The Pastiche series is a collection of monoprints that are created from several polymer etching plates, sensitive to ultraviolet light. My photograph is exposed on the metal plate in a light box. I use traditional etching methods to create a print that is composed of several overlapping images with many different solarplates. The finished piece has passed through the press multiple times before it is complete. A narrow range of color creates a collection of prints that work individually and in groups.