Style: June 02, 2017

STYLE | arts 35
PORTRAYING
VULNERABILITY
Anne Hudson explores the work of Christchurch’s own Ben
Reid, one of New Zealand’s most prominent printmakers.
He does this not by creating
a placard or shouting at us
but by creating sensitive
works that demand our
attention in a subtle, almost
subversive, way.
The New Zealand environment and its
beauty is a source of national pride. It is our
tūrangawaewae – place to stand. Accordingly,
there is an awareness of the vulnerability of
that landscape.
New Zealand was, for much of its
existence, unpopulated and without
predators. No snakes, no rats, rabbits or
stoats, no sheep, no cattle or deer. Many
species were unable to adapt to the effect
of man’s needs as a hunter and later as a
cultivator. Many birds are extinct and some
on the verge of extinction.
Ben Reid seeks to portray that vulnerability
and loss within his sensitive prints. He uses a
multi-layered approach of different printing
methods demonstrating a mastery of the
printmaking genre, often combining multiple
techniques, such as dry-point etching and
wood block, in one work.
Printing is a skill-based process. There are
several stages to go through in the creation
of a print. The final picture may have an
abstract quality but the making takes mastery
and control. In many ways it is like glass art
and ceramics where the process and material
used are integrally part of the finished piece.
Ben Reid’s work is a good example of
this. Dry-point etching, for example, requires
a steady hand. The image is drawn on to
the metal plate; there is no room for error.
It is then inked and paper is pressed on
to the image to pick up the raised design.
Woodblock work also requires patience and
skill. Once the etching or block has been
made it can be used many times over with
different coloured inks.
The layering of images on to the paper
requires care and precision. Reid says of
printing, “There are certain effects, moods
and qualities that can be created in original
prints that can only be achieved using
printmaking processes.”
Reid’s prints are often multi-layered,
building up the image, each layer offering its
own associations. Paper, printed like Victorian
wallpaper with repeated patterns, form the
background. They look pretty but the animals
portrayed so prettily are predators, such as
rats and stoats. Using another process, the
subsequent layer puts the subject in focus.
We are seeing the bird in its habitat but are
also being made aware of conservation issues
of global warming, pest control, and pollution
– all threats at the hand of man. Drawn to the
sensitive representation of the prime subject
we might miss the more subtle illustration of
predators and other foe. A darker meaning
hidden behind the beauty creates a tension,
an anxiety for the plight of his subjects.
Reid’s titles are often written on the work
adding yet another layer. The text becomes
part of the work. Reid asks us to consider our
flora and fauna, particularly birds, by reminding
us of the damage done to them through
human intervention, persuading us to be more
sensitive to the environment. He does this not
by creating a placard or shouting at us, but
by creating sensitive works that demand our
attention in a subtle, almost subversive, way.
We are drawn into the work, admiring his
technique, his drawings and juxtaposition of
ideas and then once entrapped we are made
aware of his serious message.