"The Illusion of Sleep"
Boxed Mezzotint Print Set
Four 7"x7" white ink on black paper
In a 7.25" x 7.25" white box
Edition of 6
Ae035 / 2024
"The Illusion of Sleep" consists of four 7"x7" square mezzotint prints drawn and engraved by Terence Hannum featuring poisonous flowers of Henbane, lily of the valley, Oleander and Arisaema. Originally printed in white ink on black paper from Hannum's plates by Gary Kachadourian for the accordion style book of the same name from Lanesville Press.
There are also four copies of the accordian style print book (6" x 7" folded + 6" x 36" unfolded) of the same name from Lanesville Press that are in stock.
MEZZOTINT involves indenting the metal printing plate by rocking a toothed metal tool across the surface. Each pit holds ink, and if printed at this stage the image would be solid black. However the printmaker creates dark and light tones by gradually rubbing down or burnishing the rough surface to various degrees of smoothness to reduce the ink-holding capacity of areas of the plate.