Selective older work by Richard Black RE

1969 – 1979: Selective Older Prints: The first color intaglio print was made in 1969,
titled ‘Genesis’ (not related to a later series called ‘Genesis Two’). This print was made using a single cooper plate and wax paper stencils to separate the four colors on a single plate. This marked the beginning of an on going passion with color. It soon became evident that this stencil `method of separation was no way to make a multicolor print for it involved cutting stencils to place over each freshly inked color on the single plate. This print was titled ‘Genesis’ simply because it was the first use of color. (no biblical reference). This experiment was followed by a series of images using multiple plates, one for each color. This was an important learning experience, slow, self-taught, eventually developing into the the personal system of color theory and registration used today.

Prints produced during this period included ‘Red Klee’, ‘Candy Mountain’, ‘Magician’, ‘Up Up and Away’ among others. The work during this period was greatly influenced by the works notably of four artists: Glen Alps, Paul Klee, Gabor Peterdi, Johnny Friedlander and later Wassily Kandinsky. Early on the pictorial theories of Paul Klee became a significant influence ( see ‘The Mind and Work of Paul Klee’, Werner Haftman, Prager, 1967). The ideas expressed in this book, chapter eight, ‘How a Picture is Born’, became and remain the greatest influence on my personal artistic picture making philosophy.

CLICK ON ANY IMAGE TO ENLARGE