Dimensions: image: 174 x 274 mm
Copyright: © Peter Doig | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Curator: This is Peter Doig's "Night Fishing," currently held in the Tate Collections. It presents us with a nocturnal scene, rendered in tones of deep indigo. Editor: My initial impression is one of quiet solitude. The darkness seems to absorb everything, creating a sense of being utterly alone. Curator: That solitude speaks to the historical context of landscape art, often sidelining minority experiences in favor of an imagined sublime. Can we consider how this darkness might represent exclusion? Editor: Intriguing thought. Visually, the water's surface is subtly rendered, suggesting reflection and the unknown depths beneath. It might touch upon deeper psychological states, or perhaps ancient fears. Curator: Or perhaps a metaphor for the hidden realities, the social injustices that remain unseen or ignored within seemingly idyllic landscapes? Editor: A powerful consideration. The contrast between the implied light of the fishing boat and the engulfing dark certainly provokes a sense of underlying tension. Curator: Exactly. And by considering the painting through a contemporary lens, we can address how these issues of representation persist today. Editor: It shows the enduring power of symbols to hold multiple layers of meaning, resonating across different historical moments and personal experiences. Curator: It’s a reminder of the vital role art plays in revealing uncomfortable truths. Editor: Indeed, and that art continues to offer powerful metaphors for the unseen aspects of our lives.
Comments
Join the conversation
Join millions of artists and users on Artera today and experience the ultimate creative platform.
Grasshopper is Doig’s third print portfolio, following Ten Etchings 1996 (Tate P11471-P11480) and Blizzard ’77 1997 (Tate P11554-P11561). It was produced in an edition of thirty-five. Tate’s copy is one of seven additional proof sets. Each print is individually signed and numbered ‘TC’ (Tate copy) by the artist. The portfolio is presented in a pale yellow, hinged solander box bearing the artist’s name in dark brown. The title and colophon pages were designed by Peter B. Willberg and printed in dark green. The contents were printed at Hope Sufferance Press, London on 350gsm Zerkall paper and published by Charles Booth-Clibborn under his imprint, The Paragon Press. Colour etching involves a layering process sympathetic to Doig’s painting process of building up colours and image in many stages. The prints in Grasshopper were created using between one and three plates and a range of etching techniques. Variety in texture and tone was created with aquatint (a process for creating an even tonal field), open bite (a method in which unprotected areas of the plate are exposed to acid to produce a very light tone), deep bite (a process which results in very dark tones), spit bite (a method involving painting or splashing acid onto the plate resulting in painterly effects) and sugarlift (a process which allows the artist to paint marks that print rather than having to outline them negatively). The individual prints were originally untitled, but were titled by the artist on publication of Contemporary British Art in Print: The Publications of Charles Booth-Clibborn and his Imprint The Paragon Press 1995-2000 in 2001.
CollectMore like this
