E.065 River marker 1992

• I. 1st state of 5

  Etching. A low-lying river landscape where a tall river marker stands, centrally placed in the foreground and beside a low, flat shore. To the right is a partly submerged circular concrete column, and in the distance at right are tall light poles. On the horizon are three cypresses and the outline of factory buildings. The composition is lightly etched.

  Unevenly wiped impression on wove paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Dunmoochin studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘1 [circled]’; lower centre: ‘River Marker’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’92’. The lower left of this impression appears speckled from over-wiping.

• II. 2nd state of 5

  

  Etching has been added to many areas, and especially to the river marker, to better define volume and space.

  Impression on wove paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Dunmoochin studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘2 [circled]’; lower centre: ‘River Marker’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’92’.

• III. 3rd state of 5

  Tiny etched lines have been added to the rope at the very bottom of the marker, to give the appearance of greater tactility.

  Impression on wove paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Dunmoochin studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘3 [circled]’; lower centre: ‘River Marker’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’92’.

• IV. 4th state of 5

  The main vertical section of rope on the marker has been burnished lightly to make it appear more continuous.

  Impression on wove paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Dunmoochin studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘4 [circled]’; lower centre: ‘River Marker’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’92’.

• V. 5th and final state

  Extensive new work has been done in drypoint. There are two variant impressions of this state.

  1. Rich impression with saturated burr, on wove paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Dunmoochin studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘AP I’; lower centre: ‘River Marker’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’92’.
  2. Impression with burr, on wove paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Dunmoochin studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘AP II’; lower centre: ‘River Marker’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’92’. (Featured Image)

• V.b. Artist’s proof of 5th and final state (Featured Image)

  

  Extensive new work has been done in drypoint. There are two variant impressions of this state.

• No edition

• Comment

  The subject of E.065 is related to that in a rough pencil drawing that Amor made in a sketchbook during an excursion by boat down the Yarra River on 20 February 1992, in the company of three fellow artists: David Larwill (1956–2011), Mike Nicholls (b. 1960) and James Smeaton (b. 1964). Amor used his sketch as a model for two watercolours, as well as for the oil painting River marker, 1992–2001 (Castlemaine Art Museum). The present etching was made after the painting, but, in addition to reversing its orientation, differs from it in a number of details.

  The principal change was made to the river marker, which, in the print, no longer leans as conspicuously to one side. Further, five tall light poles have been introduced to serve as a visual link between the prominent foreground and the distant view of factories on the horizon.

  The progression of changes in the first four states of the etching was concerned chiefly with subtle adjustments to the details and tonal modelling of the marker. The major change came with the introduction of drypoint in the fifth and final state. However, while the drypoint imposed a clarity on the subject, it did not resolve its spacial aspects.

  Although Amor’s intaglio record books indicate that he had planned to produce an edition of ten impressions, this never eventuated.

  The other intaglio prints that resulted from Amor’s drawing excursion on the Yarra in February 1992 are Sea structure, 1992 (cat. no. E.067), and Sea structures, 1992 (cat. no. E.069).