Bruce Onobrakpeya (Nigerian, Born 1932) 'Onobrak Vignettes'
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Notes : Onobrakpeya discusses the development of his deep etching and plastograph techniques:"In May 1968...I nursed the idea that I might be able to salvage the ruined Travelers plate by mending the unwanted holes with Araldite. So I bought the two-part glue and, digging up the plate, filled the holes. In the process, some random drips, which I did not bother to clean up, fell on the plate. The glue was allowed to set and cure. Then I used the engraving tools to reduce the patched portions to the level of the zinc plate. When a test proof was taken, the random drips and tooled areas revealed forms, textures and line possibilities."Working further on this plate, I used more glue to redefine the image, which followed, which were aimed at perfecting this three-dimensional print technique, I discarded the use of acid completely. This is the origin of deep etching technique, which I later named plastography. The results were very exciting but I did not even know that I had a breakthrough in a technique, which was later to play a very significant role in the development of printmaking as a major form in the contemporary art of Nigeria. Thus the hydrochloric acid accident, as it is now popularly called, started me on a new phase of printmaking." (Onobrakpeya, 2004)He advanced to preparing plastocasts from the used plates:"The method is the same as the one employed by sculptors: a negative mould is made with plaster of paris, and into it a liquid form of the plastic is poured. It is allowed to set, pulled out and retouched." (Onobrakpeya, 1973)BIBLIOGRAPHY:B. Onobrakpeya, 'Lecture to Museum Society, Lagos, 28 May 1973' as quoted in Eze, Emmanuel Okeke, Bruce Onobrakpeya: a research into the print experiments of a contemporary Nigerian artist (unpublished B.A. thesis, University of Nigeria, Nsukka 1976)B. Onobrakpeya, Notes and Comments on 46 Prints (August 1974-February 1978) (Lagos, 1978)B. Onobrakpeya, 'Reminiscences of Nigeria's Master Print-Maker' in the Daily Times of Nigeria, June 27, 2004
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