Two Figures—Two Animals

Edward Armen Stasack

Edward Stasack was an early experimenter with collagraph and masonite-intaglio plates. He would attach a layer of fine silk to 1/8" tempered masonite and then harden the surface with a white glue mixture. He would then engrave and cut the surface composition, after which he would then "fix" the intaglio lines with the same glue mixture. Stasack used the silk to achieve tonal effects from absolute black to subtle grays. He also began adding dripped glue, string and thread to the surface, allowing the plate to then be printed both intaglio and relief. All of these elements are apparent in this work. Using these techniques the artist depicts strange pictographic, nearly skeletal beings - a deer and a lion on the left, and a man and a woman on the right, leaving the significance of the composition to the viewer. The image is both eerie and archaelogical, while the balance of black and white gives the composition elegance. This impression, one of only 3 total, is dedicated to California etcher John W. Winkler (J.W.W.).

Edward Armen Stasack was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 1, 1929 to Clifford and Bette Stasack. He received his BFA (1955) and MFA (1956) at the University of Illinois at Urbana, focusing on painting and printmaking. He then went on to teach at the University of Hawai'i at Honolulu's art department, where he eventually became chairman (1969 - 1973) and the Program Chairman in Printmaking (1973-1986). Stasack was an early experimentor with the collagraph and is often credited with the invention of the masonite-intaglio process. His method of creating his collagraphs is described on pages 322 and 323 of Fritz Eichenberg's informative book on the history of printmaking, The Art of the Print. Stasack has also worked as a sculptor including working with precast concrete murals.

Edward Armen Stasack died in Prescott, Arizona on January 26, 2023.