Vertical Rocks 1959

Gabor Peterdi made this print, Vertical Rocks, using etching, a printmaking technique that requires considerable labor. Here, a metal plate, most likely copper, is coated with a waxy, acid-resistant substance. The artist then scratches into this coating with a sharp needle, exposing the metal beneath. Immersing the plate in acid then bites away at the exposed lines, creating recessed areas. Ink is applied to the plate, filling these lines, and the surface is wiped clean. Finally, damp paper is pressed against the plate, transferring the ink and creating the print. In Vertical Rocks, Peterdi used these techniques to produce this seemingly weightless stack of stones, which almost levitate on the page, defying the material reality of the earth, and the labor-intensive process behind the image. Understanding this kind of making is essential, because it reminds us that all works of art, even seemingly ethereal ones, are rooted in material processes, and skilled handwork.