Artwork copyright Ken Spiering. Photo courtesy of the artist.

Memory Emerges from a Vision, 1996

Ken Spiering
(American, born 1950)

Location: Peninsula College, Port Angeles

ABOUT THE ARTWORK

Artist Ken Spiering was inspired to create 'A Memory Within a Vision' after his brother gave him the old 1946 Chevy truck they rode in as children. He had just moved into a rural countryside property on the Palouse in Eastern Washington. He notes, "On that property sat an old barn of hand-hewn timbers that was built in 1902, and from which I envisioned building my home and studio." As the title suggests, Spiering combines the relics of the old barn and truck with his vision for the future. He created the image using an aquatint etching process. In this process, you scratch the reverse image into a coated zinc plate that is then dipped in acid. This "etches" the exposed lines into the plate. When the plate is then layered with ink and wiped clean, only the etched lines remain full of ink. The plate is then pressed into paper with great force, which transfers the final image to the paper.

This artwork was acquired for the State Art Collection in partnership with Peninsula College.

ABOUT THE ARTIST

Eastern Washington-based artist Ken Spiering creates artworks in many different media, including drawing, painting, printmaking, and sculpture. Many of his works have been created for public spaces, with a focus on natural imagery rich with metaphor.