E.075 Self portrait, etching 1993; reworked 1995

• I. 1st state of 6, 1993

  

  Drypoint. The artist sits facing forward, with one knee crossed over the other. He holds a copper plate on his lap and he draws on the plate with an etching needle. He does not wear spectacles. The shoulder and arm at left have a double contour. The subject has been lightly scored in drypoint.

  Impression on wove Arches paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Dunmoochin studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘1 [circled]’; lower centre: ‘SP’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’93’.

• II. 2nd state of 6, 1993

  Shading has been added with a roulette to the copper plate held by the artist, to his fingers, and to the lower contour of his bent leg. The fragment of chair seen at the lower left has been defined with drypoint. The contour around the shoulders, arms and knee at left has been strengthened. Wrinkles have been added above the nose, and the end of the nose is now emphasized with two horizontal strokes.

  Impression on wove Arches paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Dunmoochin studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘2 [circled]’; lower centre: ‘SP’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’93’.

• III. 3rd state of 6, 1993

  More drypoint shading has been added to the cheek below the eye at right, and to the area beneath the chin. A ‘V’ has been added below the neckline of the pullover. More horizontal drypoint strokes have been added to the copper plate held by the artist. There are eight variant impressions of this state.

  1. Impression with rich burr, on wove Arches paper with watermark, printed by Rick Amor in his Dunmoochin studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘3 [circled]’; lower centre: ‘SP’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’93’.
  2. Cleanly wiped 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: ‘SP’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’93’. Although inscribed ‘4’, this is an impression of the third state.
  3. Cleanly wiped impression on wove paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Dunmoochin studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘Bon à tirer’; lower centre: ‘SP’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’93’. Although inscribed ‘Bon à tirer’, this is an impression of the third state.
  4. Group of four variably printed APs on wove paper (AP III on Hahnemühle paper with watermark), printed by Rick Amor in his Dunmoochin studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘AP [I through IV]’; lower centre: ‘SP’ [or ‘Self Portrait’]; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’93’.
  5. Unique, selectively wiped impression with plate tone, on cream wove paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Dunmoochin studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘1/1’; lower centre: ‘SP’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’93’. The bottom edge of this impression has been cut to the level of the ankle of the crossed leg. The sheet has been cut to the plate mark and measures 326 x 260 mm.

• III.a. 3rd state of 6, impression with rich burr, 1993

  

  More drypoint shading has been added to the cheek below the eye at right, and to the area beneath the chin. A ‘V’ has been added below the neckline of the pullover. More horizontal drypoint strokes have been added to the copper plate held by the artist. There are eight variant impressions of this state.

• III.c. 3rd state of 6, cleanly wiped impression, 1993

  

• IV. 4th state of 6, 1995

  Foul biting is now evident throughout the plate. Soft-ground etching has been used to add contours and details to the figure. Amor now wears half-rim spectacles, on a cord. A short vertical stroke to the left of the head has been burnished away. There are three variant impressions of this state.

  1. Impression on wove paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘1 [circled]’; lower centre: ‘Self Portrait’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’95’. Although inscribed ‘1’, this is an impression of the fourth state.
  2. Impression with plate tone, on wove paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘2 [circled]’; lower centre: ‘Self Portrait’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’95’. Although inscribed ‘2’, this is an impression of the fourth state.
  3. Cleanly wiped impression on wove paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘3 [circled]’; lower centre: ‘Self Portrait’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’95’. Although inscribed ‘3’, this is an impression of the fourth state.

• V. 5th state of 6, 1995

  Much new, loose etching has been added to the soft-ground contours, as well as to the face and to the copper plate held by the artist. The facial features are now much clearer. There are two variant impressions of this state.

  1. Impression on wove paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘4 [circled]’; lower centre: ‘Self Portrait’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’95’. Although inscribed ‘4’, this is an impression of the fifth state.
  2. Impression with plate tone, on wove paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘5 [circled]’; lower centre: ‘Self Portrait’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’95’.

• First edition, 1995

  Edition of three numbered impressions, on wove paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. The edition included a bon à tirer impression and two artist’s proofs. Each impression is inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘[status of impression]’ [or] ‘[1 through 3]/3’; lower centre: ‘Self Portrait’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’95’.

  Edition sheet size: 562 x 380 mm

• Bon à tirer impression (first edition, 1995; impression of 5th state of 6)

  

  Much new, loose etching has been added to the soft-ground contours, as well as to the face and to the copper plate held by the artist. The facial features are now much clearer.

• VI. 6th and final state, 1995

  An easel, roughly delineated with drypoint, has been added to the background. The chair has been enlarged and is now a director’s chair, with both of its sides visible. Much new etched and drypoint shading appears on the body and on the face and head. Diagonal drypoint hatching has been added to the copper plate held by the artist. There are two variant impressions of this state.

  1. Impression on wove BFK Rives paper with watermark, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘6 [circled]’; lower centre: ‘Self Portrait’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’95’.
  2. Unique, selectively wiped impression with plate tone, on wove paper, printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. Inscribed in pencil, along left edge (within image area): signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’95’. The bottom edge of this impression has been cut to the level of the torso. The sheet has been cut to the plate mark and measures 190 x 236 mm.

• Second edition, 1995

  Variable edition of ten numbered impressions, on white and buff wove papers (some on BFK Rives paper with watermark), printed by Rick Amor in his Alphington studio. The edition included a bon à tirer impression and (according to Amor’s intaglio record books) four artist’s proofs. Each impression is inscribed in pencil, below the plate mark: lower left: ‘[status of impression]’ [or] ‘[1 through 10]/10’; lower centre: ‘Self Portrait’; lower right: signed and dated ‘Rick Amor ’95’.

  Edition sheet size: 560 x 380 mm

• Bon à tirer impression (second edition, 1995; impression of 6th and final state)

  

  An easel, roughly delineated with drypoint, has been added to the background. The chair has been enlarged and is now a director’s chair, with both of its sides visible. Much new etched and drypoint shading appears on the body and on the face and head. Diagonal drypoint hatching has been added to the copper plate held by the artist.

• Edition impression (second edition, 1995), on buff paper (Featured Image)

  

• Comment

  The self portrait in E.075 was etched in front of a long mirror, in 1993, with Amor drawing directly onto the copper plate.

  In 1994, Amor moved from Cottles Bridge to Alphington, in suburban Melbourne, and soon afterwards he decided to return to this print (prompted by a comment made by his partner, Meg Williams, who thought that the 1993 portrait did not look sufficiently like him). In 1995, reconsidering his own likeness, the artist produced a new rendering of E.075. He also added an easel to the background in the print, thus presenting himself as the traditional painter-etcher.

  This is one of the most experimental of Amor’s intaglio prints. Not only did he print many variant impressions, on a variety of papers, but he also created two unique versions of his image (III.e and VI.b), by cutting down the sheets on which two of the impressions were printed.