San Francisco Bay Area artist David Smith-Harrison combines the technical mastery of the Renaissance with edgy inventiveness. The intaglio prints he creates using a printing process dating back to the 16th century juxtapose lush trees and architectural elements, and he utilizes blue print forms and process marks similar to those found in aged manuscripts. There's a secretive and somewhat haunting quality to his work. Precise etchings of disembodied botanical subjects coupled with archeological ruins, towns and structural references update classical themes and imagery. "Converting ideas into marks and lines on the paper or printing plate excites my mind and invigorates my imagination,” says Smith-Harrison. “When this goes well, it provides intense pleasure which delights me and enriches my life, and hopefully the lives of others.”
|
