Sofía Alrich Veytia

As I explore the intangible connections in our universe, specifically those found in nature, I approach the print matrix as a vessel for discovering unexpected links and parallels in natural imagery. During Unit 3 I dived into using photography as the starting point for my printmaking process. I reflected on the digital and artificial as something that is taking over the natural world, but at the same time appreciated how these technologies allow us to glimpse hidden aspects of existence. 

My creative journey began by documenting tangible elements within our visual tangible reality, such as flowers, streams, ponds, and branches through videos. I then edited these images and created a video piece titled Correspondence. From this visual story, I hand-picked several images that I thought conveyed the idea of interconnectedness, and printed them either onto photo positives or onto photocopies to use them for different intaglio printmaking techniques.

I work mainly with etching in my printmaking process to represent the micro and macro elements within natural scenery as it is a medium that subjects itself to chance. Chance is an important element in my work as I believe that art is a conversation between the artist and the material, where the material has its own say just as much as the artist.The interplay between video, photography, and print allows me to take an image away from its source and direct it further into abstraction. Experimenting with digital, manual, and mechanical processes is a crucial part of my artistic journey, and this section sheds light on the technical aspects of my creative process.

Everything Moves; Everything Vibrates

Hydro-coat etching is a photo-based intaglio method. My personal approach to hydro-coat starts by taking stills out of video pieces I have created and printing them onto a digital positive that is then exposed onto a photo-sensitive zinc plate, the plate is then developed and afterward etched, first with an open bite. In order to create high contrast areas with rich areas of tone the plate is double acquainted. Afterwards, the printing process involves experimenting with color and relief rolling the plate to ink it, and it is wiped with just newsprint and tissue paper.

My first approach to hydro-coat etching was with the series “Everything Moves; Everything Vibrates”, composed of 3 images that make up a sequence. The road toward printing the final images was long and challenging, as there were several technical issues at the start that made the process slower. The first challenge was getting the photo positives right for them to correctly represent the areas of light, gray areas, and darkness. The biggest challenge was getting the background to pure black, as the combination of the photo positive, plus the developing process, and afterward, the aquatint had to be perfect to create a smooth black surface. After several failed attempts I finally achieved the visual effects I had been aiming for and was able to edition the plates. 

Correspondence (The Plant Within)

For the video piece titled Correspondence (The Plant Within), I took a short trip to Richmond Park and found great inspiration inside the Isabella Plantation, nestled within the park. I went in June when flowers were in full bloom and the summer sun shone on every surface. My goal was to capture the flowing streams and ponds, as well as to find intriguing flowers and natural elements with unique textures and striking light and shadow play. The videos were then edited in Premiere Pro, I used multiple layers to give the images a surreal twist, creating connections between the natural world and the cosmos. 

I experimented with the footage, playing with colors, inverting images, mirroring them, and distorting them to the point where they looked nothing like the original shots. In a deliberate nod to the synthetic and digital realm, I employed vivid, nearly neon hues. I applied a range of effects, including invert, echo, mirror, dissolve, and turbulent displace, among others, to achieve the desired artistic vision.

The Plant Within

The series “The Plant Within”, is a reaction to the video “Correspondence”, I chose four stills from the video to translate into print. After my first incursion into hydro-coat etching with the series “Everything Moves; Everything Vibrates” where the three images functioned as a sequence, I decided to create a new series that was not a sequence but individual fragments of a greater story. These images represent growth, gestation, decay, and permanence, each image was printed in a slightly different variation of violet red and carmine in order to allude to blood and organic tissue. These colors also have mystical connotations as red and violet have been linked to various religions and mystic practices throughout history, representing both the link between the earth and the divine, such as in Alchemy (Philosopher's Stone) or in Christianity (The Sacred Heart, or The Blood of Christ). 

Untitled, dye-transfer and open bite experiment

In addition to refining my skills in hydro-coat etching and video, my exploration of dye-transfer etching continued during Unit 3. Building upon my work in Unit 2, I decided to experiment with etching a dye-transfer zinc plate to create an embossed texture on the print. To achieve this effect, I strategically applied rhinds varnish to block out certain areas and etched the plate in steps, similar to the process of aquatinting. However, in this case, I did not use an aquatint, only exposing the desired portions of the plate to an open bite. This transformative process resulted in a completely altered image, turning the plate into something entirely new. 

My objective with this particular print was to convey textures reminiscent of skin. Consequently, I chose to print it in a coral color and later printed ghost prints to further emphasize the texture.

Dye-transfer and soft ground tests 

During the course of Unit 3, I undertook an exploration of imagery derived from natural sources. Up until that point, my exploration had been limited to photography. However, in a desire to incorporate nature itself within my artwork, I began experimenting with the use of soft ground. Through scavenging pieces of grass and small twigs that had been uprooted from various areas in Camberwell, I integrated them into my small dye-transfer etchings. In light of my research delving into ecological concepts, I made the decision to incorporate more environmentally friendly etching methods into my artistic practice. Consequently, I chose to utilize Big Ground as the ground for creating the soft ground, as it is deemed a more eco-friendly technique.