Mar 12, 2024
In s3e52 of Platemark, hosts Ann Shafer and Tru Ludwig talk with Carol Wax, artist and author of The Mezzotint: History and Technique. Carol recently published the second edition of The Mezzotint, expanding greatly in every area from the 1990 first edition. As she tells us, there is a better break down of rocking the copper plates, and of inking and printing them, plus there are new chapters about printing papers and the history of the medium and how it fits in the greater history of prints.
They talk about the early history of mezzotint, whether one can over rock a plate, what happens when you do, and about Carol’s dislike of perspectival composition, all the machines and their personalities, and her dogs Cecil, the Weimaraner, and Delia, the new dog in her life. The conversation ran long, so the episode is split into two parts.
[Top] Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Eleven Shells,
1982. Mezzotint. 2 ¾ x 5 inches. Courtesy of the artist. First
mezzotint I felt comfortable signing and which shows the influence
of Hamaguchi.
{Bottom] Yozo Hamaguchi (Japanese, 1909–2000). Shells. Mezzotint.
John Raphael Smith (British, 1751–1812), after Henry Fuseli (Swiss,
1741–1825). The Weird Sisters (Shakespeare, MacBeth,
Act 1, Scene 3), 1785. Mezzotint. Sheet: 18 1/16 x 21 7/8 in.
(45.8 x 55.5 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
[Left] John Raphael Smith (British, 1751–1812), after Sir Joshua
Reynolds (British, 1723–1792). The Infant Jupiter, 1775.
Mezzotint. Plate: 20 x 14 in. New York Public Library, New
York.
[Right] Valentine Green (British, 1739–1813), after Sir Anthony Van Dyck (Flemish, 1599–1641). The Earl of Danby, 1775. Mezzotint. Sheet: 20 7/8 x 13 7/8 in. Chazen Museum of Art, University of Wisconsin, Madison.
Carol Wax. The Mezzotint: History and Technique
(2nd Edition). Atglen, PA: Schiffer Publishing,
2023.
Hendrick Goltzius (Dutch, 1558–1617). After Cornelis Cornelisz van
Haarlem (Netherlandish, 1562–1638). Icarus, from the
series The Four Disgracers, 1588. Engraving. Sheet: 13
7/16 x 13 1/4 in. (34.2 x 33.7 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art,
New York.
Ludwig von Siegen (German, 1609–after 1676). Amelia Elizabeth
Landgravure of Hesse-Kassel, 1642. Mezzotint. Sheet: 16 7/16 x
11 15/16 in. (41.8 x 30.3 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New
York.
Prince Rupert (German, 1619–1682). Head of the
Executioner, 1662. Mezzotint. Cooper Hewitt, Smithsonian
Institution, New York.
Theodor Caspar von Fürstenburg
(German, 1615–1675). Salomé, 1656–75. Mezzotint. 191 x 149
mm. British Museum, London.
David Lucas (British, 1802–1881), after John Constable (British,
1776–1837). The Rainbow, Salisbury Cathedral, 1855.
Mezzotint. Sheet: 24 ¼ x 28 ¼ in. (61.5 x 71.7 cm.).
Christie’s.
Thomas Frye (British, 1710/11–1762). Head of a Man Wearing a
Turban, 1760. Mezzotint. Plate: 19 7/8 × 13 15/16 in. (50.5 ×
35.4 cm.); sheet: 23 3/8 × 16 15/16 in. (59.4 × 43 cm.).
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Valentine Green (British, 1739–1813), after Joseph Wright of Derby
(British, 1734–1797). A Philosopher Shewing an Experiment on
the Air Pump, 1769. Mezzotint. Plate: 19 × 23 in. (48.3 × 58.4
cm.). Sheet: 19 7/8 × 25 5/8 in. (50.5 × 65.1 cm.). Metropolitan
Museum of Art, New York.
Joseph Pennell (American, 1857–1926). Hail America, 1908.
Mezzotint. Plate: 8 7/16 × 14 11/16 in. (21.5 × 37.3 cm.); sheet: 9
7/8 × 15 3/4 in. (25.1 × 40 cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New
York.
Reynold Weidenaar (American, 1915–1985). The Bridge and the
Storm, Mackinac Straits, 1957. Mezzotint. Sheet: 19 5/8 x 15 ½
in. Richard and Jane Manoogian Mackinac Art Museum, Mackinac.
Mario Avati (French, 1921–2009). Le Goût acide du jaune
citron, 1982. Mezzotint. 29 x 37.7 cm. Fitch Febvrel
Gallery.
Yozo Hamaguchi (Japanese, 1909–2000). The Three Lemons,
1956. Color mezzotint. Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland.
Art Werger (American, born 1955). Clarity, 2021.
Mezzotint. 24 x 36 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Craig McPherson (American, born 1948). Memento Mori, 2013.
Mezzotint. 13 5/8 x 16 ½ in. Courtesy of the artist.
Judith Rothchild (American, born 1950). Le nid, 2005.
Mezzotint. 7 13/16 x 11 5/8 in. Annex Galleries, Santa Rosa.
Jacob Crook (American, born 1985). Nightrise II, 2019.
Mezzotint. 8 ½ x 11 in. Courtesy of the artist.
Julie Niskanen (American, born 1983). Sanctuary, 2007.
Mezzotint. Courtesy of the artist.
Charles Ritchie (American, born 1954). House II, 2012–19.
Mezzotint. Plate: 6 x 3 7/8 in.; sheet: 13 ½ x 10 in. Courtesy of
the artist.
J.M.W. Turner (British, 1775–1851) and Charles Turner (British,
1774–1857). Norham Castle on the Tweed (Liber Studiorum, part
XII, plate 57), 1816. Etching and mezzotint. Plate: 7 x 10
5/16 in. (17.8 x 26.2 cm.); sheet: 8 1/4 x 11 1/2 in. (21 x 29.2
cm.). Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.
Frank Short (British, 1857–1945), after J.M.W. Turner (British,
1775–1851). Liber Studiorum—Frontispiece, 1885. Etching
and mezzotint. Plate: 124 x 185 mm. Tate, London.
EXTRA IMAGES
Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Type Face, 2002.
Mezzotint. 9 ¼ x 9 ¼ inches. Courtesy of the artist. An example of
(perhaps more than any other) anthropomorphizing subjects and the
use of modulating, repeating patterns to suggest animation, as well
as the humor and humanity I see in manufactured objects.
Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Sew What, 2022.
Mezzotint. 20 x 12 inches. Courtesy of the artist. This was printed
from two plates: a black-and-white key plate rocked with an
85-gauge rocker and a color plate ground selectively with roulettes
and wiped selectively. These images demonstrate the dialogue
between my current work in painting and mezzotint.
[Left] Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Pipe Dream, 2003.
Mezzotint and engraving. Plate: 2 ½ x 1 ½ in. Courtesy of the
artist.
[Right] Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Serpentdipity, 2003. Mezzotint. Plate: 2 ½ x 1 ½ in. Courtesy of the artist. These two show burin engraving through a mezzotint ground.
Carol Wax (American, born 1953). Binder Spiral, 2023.
Graphite. 127 x 23 in. Courtesy of the artist.
USEFUL LINKS
Carol’s website https://www.carolwax.com/
Jennifer Melby’s link https://www.jennifermelby.com/
Conrad Graeber’s link https://conradgraeber.com/