Warrington Colescott (1921-2018) - Signed 1983 Etching In The Basement

Description

A vibrant colour etching with aquatint and debossing by prolific American artist and satirist Warrington Colescott (1921-2018). Known for his bitingly comic etchings, this scene is typical of Colescott's distinctive artistic voice. The scene shows an array of characters in Birgit's own print studio, engaged in a flurry of activity. Colescott celebrates and pays tribute to the print studio as a hub of artistic interaction and consequently Birgit's important contribution to British art.

Titled, editioned and signed in pencil below the plateline, as shown.

Condition

In excellent condition. This piece has come straight out of the portfolio box with protective tissue paper.

Size

20.8 x 23.1cm (8.2" x 9.1")
Sheet: 31.2 x 30.9cm (12.3" x 12.2")

Collection Information

These works are from a cased set of prints by artists who were associated with the Swedish printmaker and modernist Birgit Skiöld, entitled 'A Tribute to Birgit Skiöld'. The artists featured in this portfolio were taught by or worked with Skiöld.

Birgit Skiöld (1923-1982) was a Swedish printmaker and modernist, heralded as one of the most important printmakers of the 20th century. She exhibited at the Royal Institute of Painters in Watercolour in London as well as holding one man exhibitions throughout England and abroad. From 1958 until her untimely death in May 1982, Birgit ran the highly successful Print Workshop in the basement of 28 Charlotte Street, London. The workshop was the first open-access professional print workshop in England and soon became a destination of choice for such celebrated artists as David Hockney, Eduardo Paolozzi, Joe Tilson and Victor Pasmore. In tribute to her enormous contribution to printmaking, the V&A held an exhibition of Birgit’s work in 2011. Sulis Fine Art have a separate collection of her works available.

After the artist's death, as commemorative project was produced, entitled ‘A Tribute to Birgit Skiold’ to raise funds for the Birgit Skiold Memorial Trust. 118 artists from various countries contributed free of charge an edition of 25 prints in the 30 x 30 cm format, to create a portfolio of three volumes. Following the preface, tributes were provided by Graham Reynolds, Nils Stenquist, John McEwen, James Kirkup and Pat Gilmour, as well as poems by Edward Lucie-Smith and James Kirkup. The British Museum holds one of the editions.

The present works are taken from the first volume of edition 18, published by the Birgit Skiöld Memorial Trust and distributed by Pimlico Press, London in 1983. The volume is number 18 of the edition.

We have included images of the original volume box and frontispiece for reference only - you will not receive these with your purchase.

If you are interested in purchasing the volume as a whole (including the original case), please get in touch.

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Artist Biography

Warrington Colescott was an American artist best known for his satirical etchings.Born in Oakland, California in 1921 he was drafted to serve in the U. S. military during the Second World War studying at University of California upon his return. Further developing his skills as a printmaker, he received a Fulbright Fellowship in 1957 that allowed him a year of study the Slade School of Art in London. While there he worked under the instruction of Anthony Gross and was taught a range of intaglio processes. Colescott received a Guggenheim Fellowship in 1965, a National Endowment for the Art Printmaking Fellowship in 1975, and National Endowment for the Arts Artist Fellowships in 1979 and 1983. He later settled and worked in Hollandale, Wisconsin where he and his wife, artist Frances Myers, operated Mantegna Press.