issue 5 - Viva Lewes

Printmaking used to be a purely commercial practice
and it is only fairly recently that it has moved into
the artistic arena. Brian Rice was one of the first.
“everyone always says that printmaking was first
used by Andy Warhol but actually it was a bit earlier
than that. i was making prints in the early 60s and i
wasn’t the only one. i was selling thousands of prints
then especially in the states.”
For Brian producing original prints is an almost
political act. “i’ve always thought the most important
thing about printmaking is the fact that pieces can be
sold for affordable prices. it means that as an artist
you can get your ideas out to a wider audience, and
that a different set of people can own a piece of your
artwork.” And the price difference is staggering. if
you want to buy a painting by Bridget Riley, you’re
looking at stumping up many thousands of pounds.
if you buy one of her original prints you’re looking
at a few hundred.
The image that we have chosen for our cover is
called ‘Cairnstone’ and it is an original print from
a series of four. it is inspired by Brian’s interest in
archaeology (developed during the fifteen years he
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retreated from the art world and into farming). The
design has its roots in prehistoric rock art. “it’s one
of europe’s best kept secrets”, he tells me. “There
are hundreds of rocks and boulders around, which
are carved with amazing designs. They’re not easy
to spot because they are quite weathered. You tend
to find them in remote places.”
Whilst the designs form the basis of his inspiration
they change dramatically in transition. “People
always ask me about colour”, he says. “Because
obviously the carvings are just grey. Colour has
always been important in my work, right back to the
early stuff in the 60s. i tend to tailor my colours very
much to my mood.” so what colour are you working
in now? “Well i had been using muted tones so i
must have thought i was a bit depressed but all of
a sudden i found myself adding bright yellow so i
think i’ve broken out of it.”
‘Cairnstone’ will be on display at the HQ Gallery
from July 1 th to August 12th as part of a major
exhibition of prints from Artizan editions. V
emma Robertson
HQ Gallery 01273 487849
V
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