What breath remains, IV to I

Etching on paper, 2024

A quiet meditation of what is left behind when a project finishes. My 'Dockyard Diary' series finished in December, and left behind 5L of nearly spent saline sulphate solution.

To dispose of the solution safely, it must be neutralised. Rather than use scrap metal, which would then be discarded, I left four steel plates in the mordant.

Plate IV** went in first, and had the longest etch of 96 hours. The lines have split and widened, holding pools of ink.
Plate III went in second, for an etch of 72 hours, a surface like rain on windless days.
Plate II was left to etch for 48 hours, the mordant weakening and slowing.
Plate I joined its fellows for a mere 24 hours, taking the last of what the mordant had to offer by way of strength.

The marks are a meditation of time passing in the act of printmaking. There are periods of lull, slowness and waiting, inherent to the practice, and in this case, the act of neutralising what has been nearly spent, but not quite.

Steel plate, printed on Hahnemuhle white etching paper.
Plate size: 12.5cm x 15.5cm
Paper size: approx. 24.0cm x 24.0cm
Each plate printed in an edition of 10

Collection from my studio in SE18 London is possible, please get in touch for this option!

**The images are in order - IV, III, II, I