16th October- Skills 6; Etching Reflections

16th October- Skills 6; 

Etching Reflections

The print workshop consists of two sections; Screenprint and etching. This week saw etching begin. I haven't really used this process before, especially not individually. Therefore a lot of it was new to me. In a separate blog post I have reflected on the imagery used for this etching and the (practical)  process taken to produce the image. 




I was sure to take down notes on the process however I'm not sure it is something I will be pursuing extendedly within my practice. Although I enjoyed learning of the process that etching uses I have many reserves about the ethical and environmental placement of the practice. The ecological awareness needed in our artistic practice is on the rise and should be extended throughout practices. I can highly respect and relate to the process as a craft and the extended personal involvement the artist has with the material. This makes the meaning of the work and the themes stand alongside the physicality of the impressive time and care taken to ensure the image is reproduced as intended. 

However, there is a lot of waste produced within the workshop and a lot of used chemicals washing down the sink such as degreasing spray. This spray is not only bad for the environment but also tested on animals. From an ethical stance, this is not something I would be willing to use on a daily basis or at all if avoidable. I am aware of the universities environmental awareness and care in disposing of the chemicals used in the process however the extended use of water and disposable masks/gloves and paper is unsustainable (especially when being used to produce works concerning issues such as environmental dangers). As I was in the workshop I found myself frustrated at the irony of the situation when some work is directly investigating environmental changes.

 The growing movement for sustainable creativity is something I consider myself part of and photo etching does not fall into a category of sustainability from my own point of view. I have researched the historical process of printmaking becoming more ethical and environmental. The process certainly has improved over time however, there is still much to be done before it is considered a sustainable practice. As we enter a year of great importance where environmental impact is concerned; every practice in the western world should be re-considered under strict ethical and environmental guidelines to reduce waste. The below extract from a blog is referring to the history behind the process and the importance of positive progression. 

'Throughout the UK and the world today, there is a rise in artists and studios that are shifting to non-toxic printmaking and developing environmentally sound printmaking processes of their own. The legacy begins with artists such as Nik Semenoff and the late Keith Howard, who was the first artist to investigate alternative methods in intaglio printmaking in the 1980s, reinventing techniques which had largely gone unchanged since the 16th and 17th centuries when the likes of Goya and Rembrandt were researching and establishing traditional etching materials and processes from the resources available to them at the time. In 1991, Keith Howard published his first book, ‘Safe Photo Etching for Photographers and Artists’ and began travelling the world to share his innovations through workshops and lectures.In Scotland, Edinburgh Printmakers was one of the first collectives to take Non-Toxic Printmaking seriously. Founded in 1967, Edinburgh Printmakers was the first large-scale open access studio in the UK dedicated to the promotion of contemporary printmaking practice. Artist and member of Edinburgh Printmakers Friedhard Kiekebennotably pioneered the ‘Edinburgh Etch’, a process suitable for copper, brass and steel and consisting of solutions of ferric chloride and citric acid, while artist Alfons Bytautas’ research into alternative printmaking techniques led him to develop acrylic resist etching and photopolymer techniques.“The history of printmaking is a history of aesthetics, invention, and perfection – not only in technical terms but also conceptually”, wrote Friedhard Kiekeben in the foreword for Keith Howard’s book ‘The Contemporary Printmaker’. “Whereas a canvas and the actual practice of painting has changed very little in many centuries, the practice of printmaking has been accompanied by continuous development, and more recently by major re-invention. When Rembrandt wanted to etch crisper lines he invented his own mordant. When Goya wanted tonal richness in a print he perfected aquatint. Andy Warhol was innovative not only by choosing a contemporary medium, silkscreen printing, but by centering his entire art around the notion of the reproduced image. Although fusing art and invention, until recently the art of printmaking had an unhealthy association with a whole range of potentially harmful materials and processes.”'

 https://www.jacksonsart.com/blog/2016/05/06/environmental-ethics-printmaking-studio/