Exhibition
Far Horizons
Artizan welcomes Yorkshire based artist Ian Brooks as we continue with our series of solo shows at our dedicated printmaking and sculpture gallery on Lucius Street. 'Far Horizons' brings together landscapes ranging from Antarctica to Svalbard by way of hilltops in the Pennines around the artist's Yorkshire home. The locations are mostly remote, many are inaccessible except by sea, and might be considered by many to be bleak and inhospitable. They have, however, great beauty – austere perhaps, but captivating. The polar regions in particular I find enthralling. Something about the light, the often limited colour palette, the contrasts of rock against snow and ice, cloud and water. Landscapes both rugged and fragile. My aim is to capture the distinct sense of place of each location – a combination of landscape and weather – and I hope, something of my response to the place. Achieving this requires a balance between the ruggedness of harsh conditions and a delicacy of execution to capture subtle contrasts and details in the landscape. In the field I draw in a variety of sketchbooks with pencil and acrylic ink – sepia toned, a close match to the etching ink used for the final prints. Back in the studio the sketches, supplemented at times with photographs, are translated into print. I draw directly onto copper plates with a sugar lift solution (neat Camp coffee) and stop-out varnish. The image is built up from many separately etched layers of aquatint – a dusting of resin, melted and fused to the plate, provides a half-tone when bitten by the acid. Tightly-controlled drawing is mixed with more abstract, semi-random marks – applied with sponges, tissue paper, cotton buds, and other improvised tools – to mimic the natural textures of the landscape. The subtle, smoke-like tonal transitions are achieved by painting the acid on with a brush: a spit-bite – so called because traditionally saliva was used to break the surface tension of the acid, although I use a weak soap solution. Etching in general, and aquatint in particular, can be a rather mercurial process. The acid bite is subject to a multitude of changeable factors only partly under the artist’s control – temperature, strength of acid, the density of aquatint resin on the plate. Until printed the result is always uncertain since the artist is working part-blind, judging the depth of bite and final tone as much by experience and intuition as the clock. To make a successful print requires responding to the vagaries of the process, embracing the element of chance, and ultimately leaving the reference material, and perhaps the initial intention, behind and following the needs of each particular image as it develops. Ian’s exhibition will be hosted in our main gallery space whilst in our Courtyard Gallery our seasonal printmaker open exhibition continues. Each space will also feature specially selected 3D works from our seasonal sculpture artists. Opening week Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm Thereafter Thursday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm
📅 19 April - 31 May 2025
📍 Artizan Printmaking & Sculpture Gallery
🔵 Coming Soon
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Participating Artists
Ian Brooks
The prints made by Ian Brooks are rooted in close observation of the landscape and a fascination with its small-scale details and textures. Each piece aims to evoke the unique atmosphere or sense of place of a specific location and point in time, responding to the weather as much as the landscape itself. While using photographic reference at times out of necessity, he prefers to work from sketches made in the wild, working with pencil and washes of acrylic ink in a variety of sketchbooks. These better capture the immediacy of the emotional response to the surroundings. Back in the studio, the images are redrawn directly onto copper plate, working with the traditional (even antiquated) techniques of sugar lift and spit-bite aquatint. A dusting of resin, melted and fused to the plate, provides a half-tone when bitten by the acid. The images are built up in layers of tightly-controlled drawing alternated with more abstract, semi-random marks – applied with sponges, tissue paper, cotton buds, and other improvised tools – to mimic the natural textures of the landscape. The smoke-like tonal transitions result from painting the acid on with a brush (spit-bite – so called because traditionally saliva was used to break the surface tension of the acid), allowing very subtle gradations of tone. While working, Brooks finds a constant tension between a natural and deeply ingrained tendency towards realism and finely rendered detail, and a conscious desire to simplify and abstract the image to achieve a looser rendering that maintains the energy of sketches made in the field. Etching in general, and aquatint in particular, can be rather mercurial processes. The acid bite is subject to a multitude of changeable factors only partly under the artist’s control – temperature, strength of acid, the density of aquatint resin on the plate. Until printed the result is always uncertain since the artist is effectively working blind, judging the depth of bite and final tone as much by intuition as the clock. To make a successful print requires responding to the vagaries of the process, and ultimately leaving reference material, and sometimes the initial intention, behind, and following the needs of each particular image. Awards 2020New Light Exhibition – Printmaker’s Prize 2020ING Discerning Eye Exhibition – Original Print Prize 2022Flourish Award for Excellence in Printmaking exhibition – People’s Printmaker prize by popular vote of visitors.
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Close Observations
Capturing a Sense of Place
Artizan welcomes Yorkshire based artist Ian Brooks as we continue with our series of solo shows at our dedicated printmaking and sculpture gallery on Lucius Street.
'Far Horizons' brings together landscapes ranging from Antarctica to Svalbard by way of hilltops in the Pennines around the artist's Yorkshire home. The locations are mostly remote, many are inaccessible except by sea, and might be considered by many to be bleak and inhospitable. They have, however, great beauty – austere perhaps, but captivating. The polar regions in particular I find enthralling. Something about the light, the often limited colour palette, the contrasts of rock against snow and ice, cloud and water. Landscapes both rugged and fragile.
My aim is to capture the distinct sense of place of each location – a combination of landscape and weather – and I hope, something of my response to the place. Achieving this requires a balance between the ruggedness of harsh conditions and a delicacy of execution to capture subtle contrasts and details in the landscape.
In the field I draw in a variety of sketchbooks with pencil and acrylic ink – sepia toned, a close match to the etching ink used for the final prints. Back in the studio the sketches, supplemented at times with photographs, are translated into print. I draw directly onto copper plates with a sugar lift solution (neat Camp coffee) and stop-out varnish. The image is built up from many separately etched layers of aquatint – a dusting of resin, melted and fused to the plate, provides a half-tone when bitten by the acid. Tightly-controlled drawing is mixed with more abstract, semi-random marks – applied with sponges, tissue paper, cotton buds, and other improvised tools – to mimic the natural textures of the landscape. The subtle, smoke-like tonal transitions are achieved by painting the acid on with a brush: a spit-bite – so called because traditionally saliva was used to break the surface tension of the acid, although I use a weak soap solution.
Etching in general, and aquatint in particular, can be a rather mercurial process. The acid bite is subject to a multitude of changeable factors only partly under the artist’s control – temperature, strength of acid, the density of aquatint resin on the plate. Until printed the result is always uncertain since the artist is working part-blind, judging the depth of bite and final tone as much by experience and intuition as the clock. To make a successful print requires responding to the vagaries of the process, embracing the element of chance, and ultimately leaving the reference material, and perhaps the initial intention, behind and following the needs of each particular image as it develops.
Ian’s exhibition will be hosted in our main gallery space whilst in our Courtyard Gallery our seasonal printmaker open exhibition continues. Each space will also feature specially selected 3D works from our seasonal sculpture artists.
Opening week Tuesday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm Thereafter Thursday - Saturday 10 am - 5 pm
Exhibiting Artists
