The artist and printmaker Annelies Van de Perre (Belgium 1994), from Brussels, has been enthusiastically immersed in practising electro-etching during her time in our residency workshop. She stated on her application that etching has been her overriding passion over the last four years. She trained in conventional etching for two years at the Académie Royal des Beaux Arts (Arba-Esa), and four at the RHoK Academie, Brussels.
She came to the workshop wanting to change the modus operandi of her traditional training that uses nitric acid and rosin for aquatints. These techniques can be quite aggressive and endanger the health of etchers and the environment. Toxic! as all printmakers already know well.
With dedication and skill, she faced the challenge of this experience of electrolytic etching, confirming in so doing that the processes of etching with electricity are safer and completely innovative. In our workshop, we also introduce new varnishes and never use rosin for aquatint, which we call electrotint.
In addition she acquierd enough knowledge to set up her own electro-etching unit. And her practice in the workshop has been devoted to etching lines on hard ground, tonal areas with openbite electrotint (no rosin is used), together with lines and electrotint on graphite ink resist and BIG (Baldwin Intaglio Ground), both very versatile techniques. She also practiced semidry electro-etching along with passive electro-etching, where the zinc plate is carved and the copper plate galvanised. In addition, she practised galvanised lines on copper plate.
Annelies attended the workshop with a grant from the Goethe-Institut, on a European programme to help artists' mobility called Culture Moves Europe Individual Mobility Action. The Polish artist who was at the workshop this last September also received this grant. We think it is an important idea for the development of culture in Europe. Especially for young artists. This call for applications ends on November 30, 2024. I hope that next year the European Union will offer it again.
Pictures from the workshop
Annelies Van de Perre speaks about her experience in the workshop-residency
Na het afronden van een master in gravure in Brussel, twijfelde ik over de mogelijkheden om te blijven werken en leren als jonge printmaker. Ik vroeg me af hoe ik op een frisse manier naar print kon kijken, en een nieuwe relatie zou kunnen creëren met mijn artistieke praktijk. Toen botste ik op de electro-etching residentie en besloot de sprong te wagen. Het bleek een zeer goede beslissing te zijn. Ik ben enorm dankbaar dat ik de kans kreeg om deze techniek te leren.
Mijn oneindige om te leren is de reden waarom ik zo gepassioneerd ben over printmaking en haar gemeenschap. Het is een oneindige spiraal van onderzoek, delen en het belichamen van een artistiek leven. Tijdens mijn verblijf ontdekte ik zeer praktische trukjes in het printproces en de wonderen van anodes en cathodes. De ecologische aspecten, de recyclage mogelijkheden en het comfort van werken met minder giftige producten zijn erg overtuigend.
Deze ervaring deed het dromerige vlammetje ontbranden om een eigen printstudio uit te bouwen met electro-etching, om zo dieper te duiken in deze revolutionaire techniek. Dit dankzij de generositeit van Alfonso in het delen van zijn jarenlange kennis en inzichten. Door actief bezig te zijn met electro-etching kreeg ik dieper inzicht over de werking en alle mogelijkheden ervan. Bijvoorbeeld de passive electro-etching deed mijn mond open vallen van verbazing, want hierbij is het mogelijk om twee platen electriciteit te laten genereren en elkaar zo te graveren zonder enige andere energiebron. Ik werd er helemaal wild van!
Deze magische processen doen mijn staart kwispelen van opwinding!
De hartverwarmende gastvrijheid en oprecht liefdevolle zorg van Amparo en Alfonso maakten me helemaal teder vanbinnen. Zulke inspirerende mooie mensen. En dan heb ik nog niet verteld over het dromerige paradijs van het huis en de printstudio met uitzicht op de oceaan en de zachte vederbomen op de kleurrijke patio. Alles ademt zachtheid en creativiteit in dit huis.
Een diepgemeende dankjewel, Alfonso en Amparo voor het delen van zoveel rijkdom en creatieve overvloed.
Mijn verblijf in de residentie was mogelijk dankzij de mobiliteitsbeurs Culture Moves Europe, gefinancierd door het Creative Europe programma van de Europese Unie en uitgevoerd door het Goethe-Institut.
------------------------------------ English translation by Annelies Van de Perre --------------------------------------
After finishing a masters in printmaking in Brussels, I doubted how it would be possible to continue working and learning as a young printmaker. I struggled with questions like how to rethink and approach printmaking in a fresh way and how to find a new relationship with the practice. Then I bumped into the electro-etching residency and decided to jump into this adventure. It turned out to be one of the best decisions one could make. I feel very grateful to have gotten this chance to learn the electro-etching from Alfonso.
A neverending hunger to learn is what makes me so passionate about printmaking and its community. It is a never ending spiral of research, sharing and embodying an artistic life.
During my stay I got to know very practical lifehacks for working in a printstudio and the wonders of anodes and cathodes. The ecological aspects, the recycling possibilities and the comfort that comes with working with cleaner products are very convenient.
This experience ignited the dreamy fire to build my own printstudio with electro-etching, to continue to dive into this revolutionary practice, thanks to the abundant sharing of Alfonso’s knowledge and insights. Actively doing the electro-etching gave me a deeper understanding on how it works and the many possibilities it beholds. For example, the passive way of etching blew my mind, as with this, two plates are able to generate electricity and etch themselves without any other energy source. Seeing this left me in awe.
My tail wiggles in excitement with these magic processes!
The heartwarming hospitality and sincere loving care of Amparo and Alfonso made me feel all tender inside. Such inspiring beautiful people. And then I haven’t told yet about the dreamy paradise of the house and the printstudio with view on the ocean and soft feathertrees on the colourful patio. Everything breathes softness and creativity in this home.
Thank you deeply, Alfonso and Amparo for sharing so much richness and creative abundance.
My stay at the residency was possible thanks to the Culture Moves Europe mobility grant funded by the Creative Europe programme of the European Union and implemented by Goethe-Institut.
Annelies Van de Perre's electro-etchings
