A beautiful grouping of prints in this show is the three pieces toward the end of the gallery near the window: Robert Motherwell’s “Dance lll”, Richard Diebenkorn’s “Mask” and Peter Voulkos’ “Untitled” (Stack). As they hang side by side an interesting dialogue develops between the free gesture of Motherwell’s “Dance lll” and the more studied stiffer lines in the Diebenkorn “Mask” . Although they share a similar printing technique, the plates were created in radically different ways.
The lines for “Mask” were laid out on the prepared copper plate with masking tape, which Diebenkorn used as his drawing instrument. After the composition was finished, the tape was abruptly ripped off the plate, pulling the ground with it and exposing the broad lines of shiny copper that were then immersed in acid and “burnt” onto the plate. Tiny, fine lines were then scratched onto the plate(drypoint) to further lead the eye around the composition and to provide a contrast to the bolder masked lines. The plate is then inked, wiped and printed.
In contrast, Motherwell used a spit-bite technique that utilizes a brush to directly form the lines, in this case a quick gesture, onto the copperplate. The hold your breath immediacy of this action in a print is a hallmark of Motherwell’s graphic output.
Sitting quietly between the two is the Voulkos monprint that resembles one of his monumental clay stacks. Its smaller scale and touch of color forms a terrific bridge between the two larger graphics.
In each piece you see clear evidence of the hand of the artist at work, in the Voulkos you even see his fingerprints.
