TRADITIONAL FAMILY VALUES

"Traditional Family Values" was one of the buzz phrases of the Reagan and Bush I administrations--it was code for Conservative White Anglo-Saxon Protestant ideals--laissez faire, rugged individualism, self-reliance and supply-side economics. Since corporate welfare often seemed to keep these rugged individualists' heads above the incoming tide of national and individual debt, the phrase sounded hilariously phony to me. How to picture it?

In the fall of 1993 I wanted to get back into intaglio printmaking (I hadn't done any in twenty years), if only to produce a small suite of etchings. I began by enrolling in an etching course at the University of Alaska Anchorage in order to have access to the necessary facilities and equipment. Then I sketched several ideas and constructed three collages. From these collages I produced negatives and burned the images into three 18 X 24" plates of 18-gauge cold-rolled copper. From this point I worked with traditional etching tools such as aquatint, stop-out, etching needles, Dutch mordant baths and drypoint. I pulled an edition of 15 suites plus two artist's proofs and 6 presentation proofs on Rives BFK. Each suite of etchings comes in an embossed cover.

There are thirteen numbered suites available for $1,200 each, unframed, or $1,800 each, matted and framed. There are also several state proofs of the individual etchings available for $300 each, unframed, or $500 each, matted and framed. Shipping and handling charges are not included in these prices. For details e-mail artworks@eagle.ptialaska.net

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