SIR ANISH KAPOOR C.B.E., R.A. (BRITISH-INDIAN 1954-)
GREEN SHADOW - 2011
The complete set of four etchings, 10/39, signed and numbered verso, published by Charles Booth-Clibborn, under his imprint, The Paragon Press, London (4)
each sheet 72.5cm x 96.5cm (28.5in x 38in)
Footnote: Anish Kapoor is one of the most successful and highly regarded sculptors of his generation. Born in Mumbai in 1954, he has lived and worked in London since the 1970s. Though well known for his sculpture and conceptual art, his works in print are equally compelling, with a similar sensibility to his three-dimensional forms. Investigation into the techniques used to create his desired results reveal a high-level of technical engagement not dissimilar to that required in his sculpture. ‘Green Shadow’ was published by Paragon Press and the artist’s aim was to convey an intensity of rich colour in print by overlaying at least two colours. He began by creating a digital image of gradated tonal forms that was transferred to two photo-polymer plates with half-tone screens. However, in the printing, they did not manage to perfectly overlay the dots and so a moiré, or rippling, effect was created. Kapoor did not view this as an error but rather embraced the resulting visual intensity and used it across the edition. As a result, each print within the edition is unique as the moiré varies according to the atmospheric conditions and pressure of the press.
The end results have a three-dimensional quality, with the entrancing impression of a void – a recurring theme of Kapoor’s work. On the subject, he has said ‘the void is not silent. I have always thought of it more and more as a transitional space, an in-between space’ and ‘a void object is not an empty object; its potential for generative possibility is ever present.’ In ‘Green Shadow,’ the finished set’s appearance is deceptively simple but compelling, drawing the viewer in and creating various possibilities in meaning.