Graham Vivian Sutherland

Graham Vivian Sutherland (24 August 1903 – 17 February 1980) 

Sutherland was an English artist whose worked in many different medias such as painting, printmaking, drawings, textiles and glass. He was a former student and teacher at Goldsmiths.

I’m looking at some of his etchings, as that’s one the method of printmaking I am interested in. He’s etchings are of landscapes, I don’t know whether it’s just the people that I’ve looked at, but everyone seems too etch landscapes. This could because that‘s what was popular at the time. I’ve not found any real modern day artists that make etchings, they all seem to be before the 80s.

Etchings I’ve looked at have mainly been soft suggestive marks, that give an idea of shape and texture.  Sutherland’s prints however are dark and hard on the page. He seems to etch every little detail like the slates on the roof and the texture of the bark. His prints feel fictional to me as if they’re not real places, The trees especially, they don’t feel rooted to the ground. They look as if they’re able to get up and walk about. He has some great contrast between dark and light, which add to the idea of these prints been quite firm.

Pastoral,1930

Pecken Wood,1925

Cray Fields,1925