For a fortnight this November, we had the privilege of receiving the artist Pablo Delfini, (Argentina 1959) professor of etching and visual investigation at the University of the Museo Social Argentino (UMSA) Buenos Aires, Argentina. In 2016, Pablo Delfini was awarded the Gran Premio de Honor del Salón Nacional de Grabado de Argentina, the maximum distinction for etching in his country. He is an expert lithographer who dedicates his time to the development and research of waterless lithography besides being an outstanding printmaker, especially in the processes of etching with saline mordants, a safer process for printmakers to express themselves with.
Pablo Delfini was very interested in learning the techniques of electro-etching, which he had heard about but never dared to try his hand at. Due to the high cost of copper in his country, he was enormously interested in applying this non-toxic etching technique not only with copper plates but also with zinc and iron. Here, he had the opportunity to see how iron can also be electro-etched without difficulty and with the same graphic possibilities as the noblest of metals, as can be seen from his etchings. He worked lines on hard varnish with acrylic-based and graphite-ink varnish. He learnt how to achieve the tones without rosin, with open bites and diluted graphite ink. He used passive electrolytic etching on zinc plates and semi-dry electro-etching applied to the three metals.
He came direct from teaching a course on "waterless lithography" in the Incisione Blu workshop in Rome was so generous as to teach Helios Vega - an artist and technician who recently joined the workshop - and myself the techniques of waterless lithography on aluminum plates, although it was not easy to adapt to the materials available in the Canary Islands.
I hope that Pablo Delfini will set up his electrolytic engraving unit soon and continue his artistic career with all success.
Pictures from the workshop
Pablo Delfini speaks about his experience in the workshop-residency
Learning Electro-etching with a Master like Alfonso Crujera, who has researched into, and worked so seriously on the technique has been a truly unique and privileged experience for me.
I am very clumsy with electricity and I think that is why I never tried to go into electrolysis in any depth until the clear and simple explanations of Master Crujera made me fully comprehend the method and the materials. For two weeks, I checked the efficiency of electro-etching to express my graphics, writing and the textures that I like to use in Lithography and Intaglio. His book, the "Electro-etching handbook - a safe non-toxic approach" is a very useful and complete guide to the history of the technique and its many technical variants. His workshop facing the sea is an ideal environment to work in with this non-toxic etching technique.
With his good friends and hiking group, we went to the summit of Roque Nublo, an amazing and beautiful place that affords views of the nearby island, Tenerife. It has been a magnificent and unforgettable workshop residence, so many many thanks to Amparo, Helios, Nehru and Alfonso.
(I'm now sure that when I get back to Argentina I'll be able to do electro-etching)
• More information of Pablo Delfini's bolg about his stay in the workshop-residence of electro-etching.
Pablo Delfini's electro-etchings
More information about Pablo Delfini