© Brian Hanscomb 2011
Brian
Hanscomb
HISTORY
Hanscomb works in two different media: copperplate engraving and also in pastel & gold/platinum/palladium leaf collage.
He engraves on copperplate using tools passed on to him by his journeyman during his apprenticeship. Some of his tools are over 100 years old and are of French make while others are Swiss, American and English in origin. The tools – burins – have traditional names such as spitsticker, lozenge, square, etc. and are used to create a range of different marks and textures on the copper.
The limited editions, usually of 95, are printed by hand, using a Harry Rochat press, and Hanscomb finds the discovery of the most sympathetic paper for a particular image highly rewarding. The paper used is mainly hand or mould made, some dating back to Victorian times. His use of a single colour ink, usually black or umber, demonstrates superbly the simple line of engravings; where his work is more detailed, the use of a single ink gives the tonal illusion of colour in the print.
The highly acclaimed Whittington Press has published three limited edition books with Hanscomb’s engravings: ‘Sun, Sea & Earth’ (1989) in which the engravings illustrate the poems of Richard Jeffries and his followers, including two poems by Hanscomb himself; ‘Cornwall – an Interior Vision’(1992) in which the engravings illustrate Hanscomb’s own poems and prose, and ‘The Phoenix’ (2005), in which the engravings are from before and after the disastrous studio fire and are accompanied by Hanscomb’s haiku poems. ‘Matrix 15’ (1995), also published by Whittington Press, includes a biography of Hanscomb.
Hanscomb’s love of cycling recently lead him to tour Spain and Portugal and from this, he was inspired to create a series of engravings of the Iberian Peninsula as seen in “Iberian Trees”, “Portuguese Cart” and others. While many of his engravings are figurative, others, such as “Squared Circle of Zen” are quite abstract, but all show the skill of a master craftsman in the engraved lines. “Christ appears in the Factory” is one of his largest engravings and represents the hope of mankind over the cynicism and degradation of factory life.
Copperplate engraving would seem to be an underused, even disappearing, medium which Hanscomb has every intention of keeping alive. In 2010, the ecological magazine ‘Resurgence’ (edited by Satish Kumar) wrote that ‘Brian Hanscomb is known as Britain’s leading copperplate engraver’.
Hanscomb was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Painter-Printmakers (RE) in 1997.
Hanscomb’s pastel collage work is inspired by Zen Buddhism and Quakerism yet owes a lot to his immediate locality of Bodmin Moor in Cornwall with its wonderful texture, colour and mysterious spiritual connotations. His earlier work relied on torn and ragged edges, possibly symbolising the impermanence of life or the “perfection of imperfection”. These are reflected in his pastel works such as “Ellipses” and “Crossroads on Blue”. He used Nepalese hand made paper on which there could be up to 8 layers of pastel, highlighting the raised texture as well as scratchmarking to reveal shapes, symbols and underlying colour. The hand made paper would often be used as a collage on top of other, smoother paper, giving contrasting, broader colour fields.
After the destruction of his studio by fire in 2002, Hanscomb created fire related pastel collage/assemblages such as ‘Fire Alchemy’ with the use of strong colours and gold leaf although he also created some fire related engravings such as ‘Phoenix I’.
More recently, much of his work has become hard edged and more symmetrical in many aspects, although still concerned with absolutes and ‘trying to make something out of nothing’. Some of his work has used gold and other metallic leaf, pastel and pencil to create simple contemplative images and this is shown in his series inspired by the Burren country in County Clare, Ireland, seen on a spring time visit. Capturing the essence of hidden rare flora in the Burren, Hanscomb has covered many areas of gold leaf within the images with scratch drawn flowers. A fusion of sea and land is apparent in these works, as is a feeling of spiritual ascension, notably in “Burren Eventide III”, the last of the series.
Of late, his images have varied between harder and softer edged and strong and pale colours and may include cut out shapes and torn edges.
VIEWING
His work is held in the following collections:
Government Art Collection
Victoria & Albert Museum National Art Library, London
Royal Cornwall Museum & Art Gallery, Truro, Cornwall
Bodleian Library, Oxford
Science Museum Art Gallery, London
Wessex Collection, Longleat House, Wiltshire
New York Public Library Print Collection
National Gallery of Australia, Canberra
John Creasey Museum, Salisbury, Wilts
Hanscomb's engravings can be seen at:
Bankside Gallery, Bankside, London SE , the home of the Royal Society of
Painter-Printmakers
Burton Gallery, Bideford
The Gallery at the Savill Building, Windsor Great Park
Brook Gallery, Budleigh Salterton, Devon
Gallery 49, Falmouth, Cornwall
The Art Stable, Child Okeford, Blandford, DorsetHanscomb's engravings as well as his pastels & mixed media can be seen at
his studio / gallery by appointment via the
contact page
CV
BRIAN HANSCOMB R.E.Biography
1944, born in Croxley Green, Hertfordshire. Served an apprenticeship in letterpress engraving then also trained as a gravure engraver.
1979, left print industry to become self employed artist, working from home.Solo Exhibitions
2009 John Leach Gallery, Muchelney, Somerset
2000 Beaux Arts, Bath
1998 Beaux Arts, Bath
1997 Centre for Caring & the Arts, Bleddfa
1993 Royal Albert Museum, Exeter
1992 Royal Cornwall Museum, TruroGroup Exhibitions
2007 Gallerie unter den Linden, Hertzebrock, Germany
2002 Spring Exhibition, Lemon Street Gallery, Truro
1995 Reticence, Crane Kalman Gallery, London
1994 Cornwall – Kunstler einer Landschaft, Rheda-Wiedenbruck, Germany
1992 In A Different Light, Royal Cornwall Museum, Cornwall
1989 9 Artists & a Press, Fiery Beacon Gallery, Painswick, Glos
1977 4 Man Print Exhibition, Clarges Gallery, London
International Print Exhibitions
2009 Small Print Big Impression, Cornwall
2008 Biennal International Miniature Print Exhibition V, Vancouver, Canada
2007 Small Print: BIG IMPRESSION, touring exhibition in Britain
2006,03,99 British International Miniature Print Exhibition, touring exhibition
1983 International Print Exhibition, Taipei, Republic of China
1985,82 International Miniature Print Exhibition, Pratt Graphics Center, New York
1983,82,81,80 International Miniature Print Exhibition, Seoul, Korea
1982 Mini Gravat Internacional, Cadaqués, Spain
1982 Cabo Frío International Print Biennale, Rio de Janeiro, BrazilOpen Exhibitions
2009,08,07,91,90,88,86,85,84,78,76 Summer Show, Royal Academy
2008,07,06,91,87,86,83,81,79 Autumn Show, Royal West of England Academy
1994 Open Print Exhibition, Royal West of England Academy
1985,84,83,82,79 Royal Society of Miniature Painters, Sculptors & GraversCollections
Science Museum, London
Bodleian Library, Oxford
Victoria & Albert National Art Library, London
British Government Art Collection
Royal Cornwall Museum & Art Gallery, Truro, Cornwall
National Art Gallery of Australia, Canberra
New York Public Library Print File
South Hams District Council, Devon
John Creasey Museum, Salisbury, Wilts.
Wessex Collection, Longleat House, Wilts.Prizes & Awards
2008, Biennal International Miniature Print Exhibition V, Vancouver, Canada
2007, Small Print: BIG IMPRESSION, Rose & Hollis plc. prize
1987, Royal West of England Academy, Open Exhibition, Cornellison prize for a pastel
Commissions & Publications
Whittington Press
Folio Society
Merivale Editions
Resurgence magazine
© Brian Hanscomb 2010