Prometheus III

Salvatore Grippi

Mythology was a rich source of inspiration for the surrealist printmakers working at Atelier 17 in New York. Prometheus was a Greek god who stole the gods' fire and gave it to humans in the forms of technology, knowledge, and civilization. Some myths credit him with creating humans from clay. His punishment from Zeus was eternal torment - he was tied to a rock and an eagle—the emblem of Zeus—was sent to eat his liver, which would then grow back and be repeated each day for eternity.

Master printmaker Salvatore Grippi maintained a physicality in his work that transcended whichever medium he worked with. Approaching each object or figure almost as a block of stone or wood to be chiseled, his sense of gravity and strength comes through. The image overlaps, moving from abstract to figurative, two dimensional to sculptural, a kind of bas-relief in ink.

Salvatore Grippi worked at Atelier 17 in New York experimenting with lift ground etching and engraving and shaped plates. His work had mythological themes which he feels had roots in his time spent in the army in WWII where he participated in the Normandy invasion, an experience that informed much of his work throughout the rest of his life.

For more information on Grippi see our Biography.