Two Figures—Two Animals

Edward Armen Stasack

Edward Stasack was an early experimenter with collagraph and masonite-intaglio plates. He would glue a layer of fine silk to 1/8" tempered masonite and then harden the surface with a white glue mixture. He would then engrave and cut the surface composition, after which he would then "fix" the intaglio lines with the glue mixture.

Stasack used the silk to achieve tonal effects from absolute black to subtle grays. He also began adding dripped glue, string and thread to the surface. The plate can then be printed both intaglio and surface.

All of these elements are apparent in this work. Using these techniques the artist has created skeletal shapes - a deer and a lion on the left, and a man and a woman on the right, leaving the significance of the composition to the viewer. The image is both eerie and archaelogical. A comment on the fate of all carbon based life forms.

This impression, one of only 3 impressions, is dedicated to California etcher John W. Winkler (J.W.W.).