And with its editioned prints of artist Gary James McQueen’s works Midas and Vanitas, the firm has proved it too has the golden touch.
What was produced?
Art publisher Washington Green, a long-time client of Harwood King, approached the company with a brief for four editions of 95 prints: colourful Vanitas with gold and silver; and Midas in ivory and teal with gold. Each of the four editions measured 777x1,003mm, and was printed on Somerset 410gsm satin paper from St Cuthberts Mill, bought through RK Burt.
What did the job entail?
For his latest pair of works, a reflection on the vanity of worldly wealth, McQueen, primarily a sculptor, wanted to bring out a tactile feel in the print to set off its dramatic imagery of skulls wreathed in precious metals and flowers. Originally approaching Harwood King with plans for an embossed texture, he agreed to hold off for the installation of the firm’s SwissQprint Nyala 4.
The Nyala 4’s arrival allowed the team to get going, and after some careful pre-press work the team began printing on sheets trimmed to size on Harwood King’s Zünd G3 cutter.
The first layer was printed on the Nyala 4 in white ink from a five-layer texture map, followed by gold and silver leaf applied by the firm’s screen print department. Then back with the Nyala 4, the team printed the image file over the top of the leaf, followed by a semi-gloss varnish. Finally, the print was sent back to the screen printers for a high-gloss finish, before the edges of the paper were torn by jig for a deckled finish.
What challenges were overcome?
Such a complex process was no mean feat, according to Caspar Harwood-King, the company’s managing director, especially when new to the Nyala 4.
“We ended up going through seven or eight different proof versions to be able to achieve the print,” he said.
“It was challenging: it’s difficult to create an accurate tone when printing over gold leaf, so we had to use a combination of white and image layers to create a gradation between the gold and darker areas.”
Working with an artist on their first printed work has its own challenges, too.
“You’re trying to emulate something that someone has in their mind’s eye; you’re challenging what they want, by showing them what’s possible, while also giving them something you know they’d like. It’s all about that collaboration,” Harwood-King said.
What was the feedback?
McQueen was thrilled with the results, with the works’ launch making a splash at Washington Green’s network of galleries.
“This was my first print collection and the processes that we incorporated exceeded my expectations, adding a layer of depth and authenticity to the artwork,” he said.
“It has been a real pleasure to work with Harwood King, who are masters of their craft.”
