E.014 Public building 1989–90

• I. 1st state of 3, 1989

  

  Etching. A view of public parkland, with a palm tree at left, three small trees at the lower right, and the bust of a figure, atop a pillar, at the centre right. On the skyline are several tall nineteenth-century buildings. The sky is filled with summarily etched clouds and other, scribbled markings.

  Impression with light plate tone, on wove Fabriano paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Dunmoochin studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘1 [circled]’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor 89’.

• II. 2nd state of 3, 1989

  The palm’s oblique shadow has been lengthened, and more irregular scribbles appear in the foreground, as well as in the sky. There are three variant impressions of this state.

  1. Impression with faint plate tone, on wove Fabriano paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Dunmoochin studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘2 [circled]’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor 89’.
  2. Impression on wove Fabriano paper with watermark, printed by Rick Amor in his Dunmoochin studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘3 [circled]’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor 89’. Although inscribed ‘3’, this is an impression of the second state.
  3. Dark impression with much plate tone, on wove Fabriano paper with watermark, printed by Rick Amor in his Dunmoochin studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘4 [circled]’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor 89’. Although inscribed ‘4’, this is an impression of the second state.

• III. 3rd and final state, 1990 (Featured Image)

  

  Drypoint accents have been added throughout the plate. The palm’s shadow has been extended in drypoint to the area immediately in front of the three small trees at right. The far outline of the path has been strengthened and edged with oblique strokes; etched strokes have been added in the near foreground and around the three small trees.

  Dark impression with much plate tone, on wove Arches watercolour paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Dunmoochin studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘A/P’; lower centre: ‘Public Building’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’90’.

• Edition, 1990

  Nominal edition of ten, but, according to Amor’s intaglio record books, only two impressions were printed, on wove Stonehenge paper, and numbered. Neither impression has been sighted and their whereabouts are unknown.

• Comment

  The subject of this drypoint is a view of Melbourne’s Old Treasury Building (built 1858–62) and the adjacent public gardens. The print follows the artist’s small sketchbook drawing of this subject.

  The clouds hanging low in the sky are roughly sketched in the first state of E.014 but were gradually transformed, and by the third and final state the sky is darkly stormy. Amor’s intensive use of drypoint in the third state, particularly in the elongation of the shadow of the palm so that it echoes the oblique cloud formation, completed the expressive and tonal shaping of the image.