During graduate work on my MFA at the University of North Texas (UNT) I made etchings and lithographs. One of the etchings is titled Nightwatch 18×23.5”, 1975. It was inspired by Rembrandt’s famous painting “The Night Watch.” I printed an edition, interpreting the stark light and dark contrasts of the painting in a non-literal black, white and gray composition. What I did not sell I stored in a flat file all these years. Until now!
The past is present is an ongoing theme in a lot of my work. I reuse and recycle parts of other (earlier) prints and photographs, as well as ephemera, to create new collages on paintings and paper.
I used three of the Nightwatch etchings as the base layer for three new collages.
#60 Nightwatch, etching, 23.5×18″ 1975
Each of the three collages consists of a monotype printed over the etching (turned horizontally), inked and printed stencil shapes and acrylic stamped circles. I added other cut out shapes and shapes drawn with pencils. If you look closely, you may see parts of Nightwatch peeking through.
Here are the collages each showing the etching with monotype layer and the finished collage with all the additions. All are different, but equal. There Is No Hierarchy.
#1449 a. What Are You Waiting For?
#1449 What Are You Waiting For?
monotype, etching, acrylic, pencil, collage 18×23.5 2026
#1450 a. Now, Then
#1450 Now, Then monotype, etching, acrylic, pencil, collage 18×23.5 2026
#1451 a. Not The Whole Story
#1451 Not The Whole Story monotype, etching, acrylic, pencil, collage 18×23.5 202
David du Chemin, an excellent photographer and teacher wrote: “The path towards mastery is a long journey, but a thrilling one if you don’t tie your hopes too tightly to specific outcomes and give yourself permission you need to be a perpetual student. And time. You need time. … real time that we carve out for ourselves to do the things we need to do, to focus, to get into flow.”
YES!