Louis

Helen Fay

Helen Fay’s drawings are consummate examples of the possibilities of etching and of the etching process. The metal etching plate is the ground on which Fay employs a series of marks, gestures and techniques that activate the image. Thinly etched lines morph into the more heavily aquatinted shaded surface. The almost photographic quality of the etchings enables the images to teeter between tradition and the present. Bibby Hobby, an image of a dog at rest, is a case in point. The source of the image is unclear, but it could easily be derived from a phone camera. The dog faces into the distance, aware of the viewer but never making eyes, while the subtle colouration of the throw adds warmth and interest to the image.