Do we really need another Alice?
Alice, meaning Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass must be the most widely, variously illustrated children's books in the western world. Alice's adventures are an ongoing, irresistible challenge to book illustrators and artists alike, each one putting a personal stamp on the emotional moods of the text ranging from the whimsical to the macabre. (Personally, I have always been more attracted to Lewis Carroll's original, more emotionally volatile drawings, rather than the more technically mature artwork of Tenniel which is better known.) Here, with Leora Wise's very unusual series of prints, the timeless Alice is depicted in a way that is both technically intricate and sophisticated, while maintaining the mysterious and dark ambiance that purist Alice aficionados like my will adore.
Leora's choice of etching, and her particular technique is a tedious process. It allows for the wide range of shades of black and grey and the many layered textures of her images. She etches the first image by dipping the metal plate in acid for many hours. The acid eats into the plate creating deep holes and grooves. Some of these do not follow her original images and so it expands her conceptual imagination. Then she scrapes the plate extensively, erasing part of the image, but leaving traces of it behind. She moves back and forth between these processes, etching, creating and scraping, until she feels at peace with the final image which is vaguely reminiscent of her original intent. Join her here, in her journey with Alice.
Wise exhibition (2.02 MB)
Judith Posner began her studies in Art History, but eventually went on to complete her PhD in Anthropology at the University of Toronto in Canada. She taught there and at York University for over 2o years. She has published widely in academic journals as well as in the popular press. Her eclectic art collection includes the work of many local women artists including Leora Wise. Currently she writes non-fiction and plays jazz piano. She has been an 'Alice groupie' ever since she saw the classic 1951 Walt Disney animation at the age of 6.
