FISH REPORT

An exhibition by J. Ian Young of collograph prints and box constructions.

The body of the exhibition is made up of a series of collograph prints of sea birds and linked to how they are affected by the fishing activities of man. The print series arose from the external images of a series of triptych box constructions, a group of which are also exhibited here, which also investigate the link between the fishing activities of man and some of the sea birds found in Scotland.

The Collograph prints are taken from a block made of cardboard that is both cut into and collaged onto to create the image on the completed work. The block is then inked up by hand and run through a hand operated etching press. Since each print is inked with up to four colours and wiped by hand, the resulting edition is of a number of very similar original works, each with its own character, rather than an edition of identical works.

Seagulls, puffins, gannets, shags and an oystercatcher are the subjects.

In the background of each print you will see a mixture of fish landing notes, fish prices, the names of the fishing boats, the fishing ports, etc or sometimes skeletal fish appear.

I would like to thank the Aberdeen City Council for their support through the Aberdeen Visual Arts Awards Scheme, Peacock Visual Arts for use of their excellent print workshop and Grampian Hospitals Art Trust for mounting this exhibition.