Thursday, August 23, 2012

Ken Frink’s “Jewels” Opening and Demonstration


Ken Frink‘s solo show, featuring his multiple plate etchings, attracted a large crowd.


Ken Frink and his family




His work celebrates color and the visual quality of gesture, brushstroke, lines, and drips.
People crowd around Ken as he demonstrates at the press his multi-step process.
Frink begins with a copper plate which he alters using acid and resist to etch lines and tones, as well as aggressively manipulating the surface of the plate by scraping, burnishing, sanding, and scratching.

He applies intaglio ink to the plate and wipes the plate with tarlatan to remove excess ink. Old phone book pages are used to even further remove ink from the plate. This allows ink to settle into any incisions he has made in the plate. Once Frink has placed his inked plate on the press he places a damp piece of paper on top of the plate, so that when going through the press the damp paper will be able to be squeezed into the plate's ink-filled grooves. 

He continues to work back into the same plate, creating prints that evolve as his plate evolves. Viewers got to experience his evolving methods as he printed in workshop. The slightly transparent ink layered images showcases his evolving method.
Each time Frink runs a plate through the press the crowd craned their necks, eager to see him peel the print off the plate and reveal the evolving print. Several youngsters wiggled with anticipation and clapped their hands, excited to see the outcome. 

Thank you to all the volunteers and to Jeff Simpson, photographer. See you next time!