RICHARD SERRA
COMPOSITES , 2019
RICHARD SERRA Composites 2019
Gemini G.E.L. at Joni Moisant Weyl is pleased to present a new series of limited edition prints by Richard Serra combining etching and screenprinting.
Composites consists of twenty-two editions which the artist began to develop in 2017, and continues in printmaking the compositional and textural explorations first explored by Serra in two series of drawings, titled Rambles (2015) and Composites (2016).
Composites are created by embracing the physical relationship between what happens when a deeply etched copper plate is printed onto handmade Japanese paper followed by the opaque viscosity of Paintstik being pushed through a coarse silkscreen. A marked departure from the appearance of previous Serra editions, Composites are dynamic in their mottled surfaces and exploration of texture and saturation. With a rhythmic play of densities and depths, the surfaces are activated through the masterful application of varying printing techniques and materials.
As is standard in Serra’s works on paper, Composites maintain his dedication to monochrome. Although faithful to the artist’s use of all-black pigment, these new works offer subtle, unexpected tonal variations upon closer
inspection. These distinctions are achieved through the use of differently colored etching inks, including black and graphite, resulting in an array of patterns. To further enliven the surface, an admixture of Paintstik and etching ink is squeegeed and then rolled through a coarse silkscreen in one or more applications, thereby giving the texture more depth. The handmade paper is either left with the undulating deckle untouched, or torn to create a comparatively clean edge.
The surfaces are extremely physical, and the ideas behind such a body of work can be found in a philosophy that is fundamental to Serra’s studio practice: a preoccupation with “the invention of form.” The resulting series is comprised of twenty-two remarkably nuanced editions, each offering their own distinct balance between color, texture, and depth of form.
CompositeI, 2019
2-color aquatint with screenprinted Paintstik/etching ink
13 x 18” (33 x 45.7 cm)
Edition of 50 RS17-4037
Edition of 38 RS17-4038
screenprinted
Edition of 38 RS17-4039
CompositeIV , 2019 2-color aquatint with screenprinted Paintstik/etching ink 20 x 30” (50.8 x 76.2 cm)
Edition of 38 RS17-4040
, 2019 4-color aquatint with screenprinted Paintstik/etching ink 21 x 31 3/4”
Edition of 38 RS17-4041
, 2019 2-color aquatint with screenprinted Paintstik/etching ink 20 3/4 x 31 1/2” (52.7 x 80 cm)
Edition of 38 RS17-4042
Edition of 38 RS17-4043
, 2019 2-color aquatint with screenprinted Paintstik/etching ink 32 x 34” (81.3 x 86.4 cm)
Edition of 38 RS17-4044
CompositeIX , 2019
4-color aquatint with screenprinted Paintstik/etching ink with airbrush addition 32 x 34 3/4” (81.3 x 88.3 cm) Edition of 38 RS17-4045
, 2019 5-color aquatint with screenprinted Paintstik/etching ink 32 1/2 x 35” (82.6
Edition of 38 RS17-4046
Edition of 38 RS17-4047
, 2019 5-color aquatint with screenprinted Paintstik/etching ink 32 x 34” (81.3 x 86.4 cm)
Edition of 38 RS17-4048
, 2019 3-color aquatint with screenprinted Paintstik/etching ink 32 1/4 x 34 1/4” (81.9
Edition of 38 RS17-4049
CompositeXIV , 2019 3-color aquatint with screenprinted Paintstik/etching ink 32 1/4 x 34 1/4” (81.9 x 87 cm)
Edition of 38 RS17-4050
CompositeXV , 2019 3-color aquatint with screenprinted Paintstik/etching ink 32 x 34” (81.3 x 86.4 cm)
Edition of 38 RS17-4051
2019 3-color aquatint with screenprinted Paintstik/etching ink 29 1/2 x 37 1/2” (74.9
Edition of 38 RS17-4052
Edition of 38 RS17-4053
Edition of 38 RS17-4054
Edition of 38 (projected) RS17-4055
, 2019 4-color aquatint with screenprinted Paintstik/etching ink 29 1/2 x 38 1/2” (74.9 x 97.8 cm)
Edition of 38 RS17-4056
Edition of 38 RS17-4057
Edition of 38 RS17-4058
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