TIM SOUTHALL & ALAN TURNBULL

It is a delight to present 50 etchings by two printmakers, each in his different way at the height of his powers in expressing his vision in the complex medium of etching.

Tim Southall are makes most of his work in etching, followed by silkscreen and monotype. He also makes paintings and the occasional sculpture. All of his work begins life either in his studio in Cadiz, or coalescing in his mind as he goes about his daily business in rural Spain. From these experiences a spark of an idea moves from the mind into notes and jottings, which gradually come together to form compositions. Once a rough idea is formed, the actual piece of work is begun in earnest. Small scale cut-out drawings are placed and shuffled around an image template until Tim is satisfied with their location. These are then transcribed onto an etching plate. This process continues, gradually adding more detail, until the image is complete.

Alan Turbull, by contrast, begins by drawing from observation directly onto the etching plate. Etching being a transformative process, however, once the plate is immersed in acid the image begins to take on its own life. It can be modified using a variety of techniques and the simplest looking plate can go through five or six states. Alan doesn't make editions but prints only a few artist's proofs and moves on. The images of etching tools and brushes were inspired by certain etchings of spanners, screwdrivers etc by Jim Dine and other etching studio still lifes contain strong references to Morandi. Finally, the wild flowers around his rural Yorkshire home are a perennial inspiration.