15.13 BERT KELLER

Kew No. 1, 2007

The technique of the mezzotint was developed in the mid-seventeenth century. It is a tonal process, meaning it can produce half-tones between black and white and not just black lines on a white surface, as was the case with older techniques. Producing mezzotints is extremely laborious, however, and after the introduction of lithography in the early nineteenth century artists no longer used the mezzotint process. It makes the prints of Bert Keller exceptional both in terms of technique and because of the dimensions he works with. Even though the printing plates, which need to have a grinded surface, are produced mechanically nowadays, the process of creating an image demands a mastery of the technique that is impressive. Keller usually works after photographs he took himself. In this case he used a photograph he made inside a greenhouse in Kew Gardens in London.

© Copyright 2017: Jef Schaeps.

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