Exhibitions

(Berlin, September 1, 2014) – Berlin-based artist Winston Torr starts this season more ambitiously than ever. Having been awarded an Artist-in-Residency at 55 limited Kupferdruckwerkstatt & Galerie, an Intaglio printmaking studio in Berlin-Schöneberg, Torr delved into the multifaceted medium of copper printmaking. Curated by Carlota Ibañez de Aldecoa Silvestre, the resulting prints will be presented from September 12 to October 24, 2014 in the workshop’s gallery.

“Intaglio” features twenty-one brand new etchings printed from copper plates, using the rare “soap
ground” technique, combined with line etching. Each individual work is hand inked and printed on the studio’s hand-driven Intaglio press. The edition is strictly limited to seven prints of each motif, signed and numbered, executed on high-quality Somerset paper.

The development of a “soap ground” print is laborious. Up to twelve hours might pass until an image emerges. “It is a long and intricate process but definitely worth the energy put into it,“ Torr states. “In our current society, we usually want things to be produced quickly and automatically, with a click of a button, out of learned habit. I picked up printmaking for I am lucky enough that there are still people who appreciate workmanship and places where manual work is estimated and not frowned upon. This is a rarity in this digital age. I take great pleasure in every creative step, in conjunction of a world of quick ‘readymade’ Art.”

Born in Toronto, Canada, Winston Torr grew up in Los Angeles, California. His background is multi-ethnic: Mongolian, Chinese, and Korean. He has participated in numerous national and international exhibitions, such as: “Drawing Connections” at the Siena Art Institute, founded by Paul Getty III; “Sublime” at Fellini Gallery, Berlin; “Transporter” at Mercedes-Benz Gallery, Ravensburg; “GLAAD” charity art auction at the Metropolitan Institute, New York; and Sotheby’s Vienna. This solo show at 55 limited establishes Winston Torr as a serious and polytalented artist.

“Soap ground” is one of the so-called “wet” techniques in Intaglio printmaking; it involves an acid that bites into the metal. A mixture of soap, white pigment and linseed oil is applied onto the copper plate with a brush. Once the drawing is finished, the plate is covered with an aquatint, a fine layer of dust, which is essential to create tonality. Melted by a flame onto the copper, this dust will create little spots that hold the ink. Depending upon the quantity of soap ground applied, the acid will then bite into the copper. Thus, the soap ground can be considered the most “painterly” way to create a print. Torr has mastered this technique in a very short time.

55 limited, established in Summer 2012, is an intaglio printmaking workshop and gallery specializing in small, limited editions (no more than 55 prints), photo-mechanical processes (in particular, photogravure), and limited-edition artists’ books. It regularly offers residencies, workshops, and free introductory lessons in Intaglio printmaking.