Jim Dine’s hand tools drawings and prints and Walker Evans photographs of hand tools are images in the 1970’s by the printmaker and in the 1930s by the photographer. They celebrated the status of the metal hand tools and in doing so those that admired, bought and used them. “These tools were developed not by an industrial designer. They were developed by somebody who used them. They were developed by guys who work with their hands.’ Jim dine (1). In the 21st Century I have begun making images of tools used in a very different environment of digital and data manipulation and through keyboards by finger tips and the brains behind them: removable hard discs. Five discs from 2007 to 2020. The designs and technical capability have grown as their size and cost has decreased. However, already in the 21st Century they are becoming obsolete tools in need of recognition before they go, as the cloud servers take centre stage and distance human selves even further from material tactile relationship with tools. Finding the most appropriate approach to representing these Early 21st Century tools begins with pencil drawing, through digital drawing and to intaglio printmaking with etching and aquatint.
(1) Paul Coldwell (2017) JimDine – Printmaking and the tools of his trade. Print Quarterly, 33(2) pp177-188.
Drawn and photographic images using iPad.
Individual disc tools will be printed photographically on rag paper and other print techniques will be applied.
