Page 61 - Studio International - June 1972

David Hockney was never out to be Gross's use of etching is never inbred, and his
concerned with the finer beauties of an etched prints, by their sheer technical brilliance and
line, nor any other technical experience for economy often appear, especially to other
that matter. His first attempts at etching, etchers, majestic.
however, were like a duck taking to water. A series of masterly pure aquatints by
His initial appetite and acquisition of the Bartolomeu Dos Santos of lovers, bishops
medium and his unerring instinct for it were and still lives are in direct contrast to Brian
obvious in the first considerable batch of Wall's use of aquatint. These plates have a
plates, amongst them the Rakes Progress. He precision of thinking entirely different to Wall's,
went into the medium with a completely open but nevertheless are equally sympathetic.
mind, using most techniques that people could Whereas Wall used a two-inch brush and stop-
show him, and separating his likes and out varnish on zinc and bit the plates quickly,
dislikes in practice. In Cleopatra he used hard Dos Santos used a fine sable and copper and
ground, soft ground, aquatint in about five bit the plates slowly with an immense amount
grades, steel wool and printers' ornaments. He of expertise and instinct. One feels that these
even had part of the plate printed in red. It images have been nursed out of the plate,
works beautifully as an etching, but more than with extreme care. In spite of this the prints
anything it shows an immense amount ofjoy are beautifully free and positive.
in the medium. Hockney went on then to the Alongside the artists I admire I must include
very economical Cavafy series in pure line with a student, Peter Aspden, who in a period of three
small aquatint areas which, I feel, should have or four months a few years ago produced thirty
been better etched and printed. His next series or more plates of which I find it difficult to
however, (the Grimm illustrations), show a great delineate the character. He had many qualities
mastery, understanding and wit. The series is which were in direct discord with the way I
almost as much a series about etching as about thought about etching at that time, but he
the fairy tales. The direct use of cross- suddenly started etching as if it was going out of
hatching in the most improbable situations, the fashion and proved, once again, that there are
use of different grounds to sharpen the literal no rules. Many of his images seemed at first
quality of the illustration, is remarkable. The predictable. His plates were rarely initially
series says in visual terms much of what I interesting, but in many cases the prints suddenly
have been writing about. I particularly like the became brilliant. His natural instinct and
Heap of straw and the heap of gold print. The complete initial ignorance of technique were to
series stands looking at again and again. his advantage. Etching is a very difficult medium
William Crozier brought a different and to chew at and push around, but this was
more economical intellect to bear on these Aspden's natural way of working, and whereas
problems. After a few sorties into the medium, most etchings get duller with overworking,
and, like Wall and Hockney, a rapid realization in Aspden's case the plates gained life. In
of the possibilities, he embarked on a series retrospect I find it impossible to say why, but
of prints titled Aviator. They are mainly in he definitely brought something new to etching.
several bitings of pure line and two or three of There are, of course, other artists using
aquatint. He, even more than Hockney, etching well. Chris Orr and David Royle
realized that etching could simply be another, spring to mind. I am sure that there are many
and very beautiful way of drawing. I feel that is others. I feel, however, that the artists I have
what these plates are, but at the same time mentioned here have had the ability to approach
they are also another, and very beautiful, way etching each in his own peculiar way, always
to etch. It is, I know, a common attitude to with the sensibility to realize that one can
etching, but the ability to hit the precise take all the liberties one likes, but one can never
balance is very rarely achieved. These prints demean the medium. I believe it always
hit that point very surely indeed. makes a fool of those who try. Etching to me
There is little I can say about Anthony is purely classical and technically limitless at
Gross that isn't known already. the same time. It is black and white but full of
One always thinks of Gross as purely an colour. It is positive and elusive: it is two-
etcher, but, although few people know he is a dimensional but never flat. It is tonal and still
painter, let alone have seen his painting, I linear. It is densely black and brilliantly white
feel that the fact that he is a painter helps all at the same time. It can be very sparse
make him the considerable (and as yet and still seductive. q
underrated) artist that he is.
Publicly, he is very much an etcher's etcher.
His technical ability in the medium is, to my
knowledge, unsurpassed both here and in the
USA. What is much more interesting is his
ability never to be seduced by his own technical
ability. Everyone talks about his early French
plates. They are very beautiful indeed. I
particularly like the 'Valley' series, done much
later, with a tremendously expansive use of a [Illustrations to Norman Ackroyd's article are
mezzotint blade as a line etching tool. on p• 279.]
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