Jack Lanagan Dunbar, Australia (1988) did his graphic designer training at Enmore Design Centre in Enmore (Australia) and his Bachelor degree in Photography and Social Media at Sidney University of Technology (Australia). He has received a large number of awards for his photographic work, such as the Redlands Emerging Artist's Prize. One of these awards also entailed a bursary for three months' residence in the Cité Internationale des Arts in París working on a project called Pantheon, where he combined abstract art and photography to produce his personal vision of the legendary figures of Greek Mythology and Ancient Times. At present, he is living in Leipzig, Germany.
This young artist with many strings to his bow focused on painting, sculpture and copper plates engraved and painted as if they were original works. His interest in electrolyte etching centred on achieving relief effects on his plates that he later painted on rather than in getting tone effects for prints.
Jack is not really an etcher as such and had never produced a printed plate before although he had practised semi-dry electro-etching in his studio previously, thanks to the publications of Cedric Green on the subject.
During his six-week residence, he practised etching lines with electrolysis on hard ground, and with graphite ink varnish on copper plates that he printed on monotypes of various colours. He also produced passive electro-etching on zinc embossing plates.
However, most of his production focused on copper galvanography working with clay, wax and silicon moulds. Some of his work is to be found on this page but the artist reserved most of it for his exhibition to avoid losing the surprise factor. He has promised to send us the photo of these works once they have been placed on exhibit, thereby allowing you to see all his residence production on this page.
His long stay allowed all of us, both family and friends, to get together more and he accompanied us on some of our hikes around the island. He even collaborated in the cover design for a collection of short stories called Alar de Rosas. This project was put together and led by the writer, Teresa Iturriaga to raise funds for the Orphanage Our Little Roses /Pequeñas Rosas in San Pedro Sula in Honduras.
Pictures from the workshop
Jack Lanagan Dunbar speaks about his experience in the workshop-residency
I feel very privileged to have been given the opportunity to participate in the Electro-Etching residency. Alfonso Crujera is a master artist who over a long career has worked across a vast range of media and taken the time to understand the intricacies of each. Regardless of whether its printing, painting or ceramics, Crujera knows his stuff.
On arrival at the residency I was shown my quarters which are made up of an studio-apartment style room with kitchenette, attached bathroom and extensive art library (!) and given a tour of the workshop proper. The working space is fantastically well equipped as a print studio and can also be used for a range of other processes owing to its good selection of hand tools, workbenches and flexible natural and artificial lighting.
During my period of training under Crujera, I was expertly guided through a host of techniques that were totally new to me. These not only included the specifics of working with electrolysis (including excellent strategies for the safe handling, storage and disposal of materials) but also some traditional printing techniques that I had not been shown before.
I spent a total of 6 weeks working in the studio. My chief interest going into the residency was in manipulating the copper plate itself as the bulk of my work uses the plate as a support for painting. I was particularly taken by the galvanographic aspects of the training which I then used to produce a body of work.
My time on residency couldn’t have been more productive or well supported. I was treated like a member of the family and very well looked after. Alfonso Crujera is a deeply knowledgeable artist and an experienced teacher–he also has a heart of gold.
Jack Lanagan Dunbar's electro-etchings and galvanographies
