FAMAG 2017.4.9


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Irwin, Bernard, Smith, Jesse Leroy: Proud cast, signed and dated 2016, hard ground etching with mono print (4 of an edition of 5), 57.5 x 67.5 cms.


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"There is great pride in the ingenuity and engineering skills that the foundries employed and exported across the globe. We were so struck by an archive photo that embodied this sense of pride in achievement we adapted it here, echoing the layout of a world map with surrounding legend, which alludes to the global legacy of these industries."

Over the summer of 2016 Bernard Irwin and Jesse Leroy Smith embarked on a remarkable journey through the mining landscapes and heritage of Cornwall and West Devon. As they traveled they were joined along the way by t a host of artists, mining experts and enthusiasts, geologists, historians, archivists, book conservators, school children and members of the public. Each one contributed, through their participation, to the richness of experience and the depth of content so evident in all the artworks created along the way. All of this activity culminated in the creation of the suite of ten copper plate etchings made under the expert guidance of John Howard at his Penryn print studio. The final ten etchings are presented in handmade presentation boxes constructed by Elizabeth Neville & Louis Bauress & two Heritage Lottery Funded conservation trainees, Keira McKee ann Rhea Evers, in collaboration with the artists and St. Justin Jewellers.