UnderCurrents of Modern Engraving
by Barry Lee Hands
There are some strong undercurrents in modern
engraving that may bring striking changes to the art of American engraving
in the next few years. As engravers, we all have our style, our personal
way of interpreting the layout and techniques that we choose to work in.
This style comes primarily from the “school” in which we learned. A knife
engraver we may work in his own style, but can perhaps be recognized as
being from the Lindsay school, that is he may often use gold scroll lines
with interweaving layout and fine shading. Or he may work in the McKenzie
school, with strong bold Victorian scroll. A firearm engraver may also
follow the McKenzie school, or perhaps he tends toward the school of
American scroll, influenced by Nimschke and Helfricht. Some engravers work
in more than one school.
Your own style comes from your school, its
written or unwritten rules of form, and your own vision of how to “do it
my way". These schools, or the many others not mentioned, exist inside
what traditional art historians sometimes call ”Structure”. Structure has
been defined as the broad view of the arts that is in the mind of the
Artists, the public at large, and by the critics. In addition it is our
conception of what art is, and what is acceptable as art. The Structure of
the art of engraving, which is recognized by engravers and the collectors
of engraving, exists within the larger structure of the fine arts. If one
works within the structure of his art, and with exposure to the audience
he is seeking, he will often gain some recognition by his peers, and if
successful, renown from the public and collectors. Some may like the work,
some may dislike it, but it will be accepted and recognized as Art, good
or bad, according to taste. If one works outside the Structure, they are
usually dismissed, derided, or, in the rare case, hailed as a genius for
having the vision the go beyond the established norms, and actually
expanding the world of art, adding to the Structure in a new and original
manner
Today there are many young engravers entering
the field, whose idea of structure, a concept perhaps unknown to them,
includes a far broader view of the arts, than many of the older more
established engravers and their schools, within which the young Artists
work. Many incorporate ideas of art which they have seen in computer
graphics, the Web, Anime, Celtic, Tribal, Gangsta chic, and Tattoo art
that are very new to the world of engraving. Some of them are working in
existing schools, and rein themselves in, not wanting to step outside the
bounds of acceptable work. As they draw and plan and create they may be
inexorably drawn to, and heavily influenced by the Structure of the wider
world and youth culture, which is forming their own personal styles.
Example engraving by Rick Simmons
Recently in the many currents of these
individual styles one may see the beginnings of a commonality. When a
grassroots shift in style adjusting to a new world view of structure
achieves commonality, and when the participating artists understand this
and move forward together, they inevitably create a new school. An example
of this in painting was the impressionist movement.
We may be seeing this type of undercurrent
take place now. It can be observed in new ways to approach layout,
scrollwork, banners, lettering, and figures. It remains to be seen if in
the next decade, or perhaps even the next couple of years, this change in
style consolidates and becomes a new school, and perhaps even expands the
“Structure” of the fine Arts.
It is truly an exciting time to be an
engraver.
Barry Lee Hands
Bigfork, Montana February 12, 2007
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