Vital Formation

Vital Formation is a fine art print produced at a print workshop residency (Kätelhön) in Wamel, Moehnesee, Germany in 1988. It is printed from 6 copper plates and is a combination of line etching, aquatint, drypoint and mezzotint techniques printed on Hannemuhle German etching paper.

An image of deep illusory space in the background is interrupted by an overlapping image, referencing the surface of the print and creating a shallow pictorial space.

Using layers of gestural marks the artist renders forms in chiaroscuro (balanced contrast between light and dark areas) to achieve strongly-lit, coarsely textured surfaces. The high contrast adds interest and dynamism, where a limited colour palette of monochromatic yellow offers a contemplative space for the viewer.

The imagery portrayed in Vital Formation is evocative of organic forms and geological structures. The artwork explores ideas of interior versus exterior space, which can be interpreted as a metaphor for the mind and the human body.