Dimensions: image: 92 x 93 mm
Copyright: © Tate | CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 DEED, Photo: Tate
Editor: This is an untitled etching by Cecil Collins from the Tate. It’s quite small, almost like a postage stamp, and the image is so faint. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: Well, let's consider the labor involved in etching. The artist meticulously manipulates the metal plate, controlling the acid's bite. This suggests a deliberate engagement with process, blurring the line between artistic creation and skilled craft. How does this interplay of control and chance affect our understanding? Editor: That’s interesting. It makes me think about the artist's hand and the materials they chose. I hadn't considered the "means of production." Thank you! Curator: My pleasure. It is worth considering labor, materiality, and consumption in the context of Collins.
Comments
Join the conversation
Join millions of artists and users on Artera today and experience the ultimate creative platform.
tate 5 months ago
⋮
This complicated composition of geometric shapes is built up from engraved lines. By overlapping and crossing lines on the metal plate, Collins has created three dimensional shapes. Unusually the etching has been printed on to newspaper which has discoloured over time. The reason why Collins produced this image is unclear, but it may have been an experiment in print-making.
CollectMore like this
