Standing in silence

About the artist

I am a UK based artist whose drawing and printmaking practices reflect my experiences of walking through rural countryside, along coastlines, and becoming immersed in place. The rural countryside is an imperfect vision of a natural environment that has been shaped by human intervention. Paths are chewed and indented by farm machinery, hedges are cut and fences repaired. Nature does its best to wrench back control; rain washes paths to new shapes, fence posts lean to their own tune and these are the moments that I find fascinating. Every piece I create begins with drawing, exploring the structures and textures of footpaths, bridleways and beaches; tracking seasonal and environmental changes. My practice is informed by writers and artists such as Tim Ingold and John Virtue, both of whom have experiential practices, exploring walking and wayfaring. A similarly immersive approach enables me to document place in a diarist%u2019s format, drawing attention to details, memories and glimpses that build to a whole. I work with a monochromatic palette in order to focus attention onto surfaces, structural elements and light. The qualities within the materials that I use and their potential for mark making are important motivating factors. I draw with graphite, water soluble graphite and charcoal, and through these mediums I am able to thoroughly investigate my imagery. My etchings enable me to exploit a rich visual language of texture, line and marks and are created using traditional intaglio methods on copper plates. Most importantly, etching provides me with the opportunity to build layers into my image making; representing an over-layering of time and weathering that is inherent to all places.

More about Wendy Rhodes

About the artwork

This print is part of a variable edition. The area that makes up the sky has been monoprinted so that a variety of everchanging weather conditions can be represented