ARTIST STATEMENT

Polymer photogravure, the intaglio printing process Renee Lynn uses to create her handmade prints, combines centuries-old printmaking techniques with modern technology. In this modern variation, the computer generated negative is exposed to a light-sensitive photopolymer resin plate—a more environmentally friendly material than traditional copperplate. No acids or solvents are used—only sunlight and tap water.

Traditional inks—fine pigments ground in oil—are applied to the plate, and wiped by hand with a special cloth, leaving the ink only in the recessed areas of the plate. The plate is placed on an etching press, covered with dampened paper, and rolled through the press to offset the image onto natural-fiber paper. Once dried and flattened, the original print reveals an archival image with rich tonal quality.

BIOGRAPHY

Renee Lynn is a widely published photographer specializing in nature and wildlife. Her portfolio includes work for National Wildlife Federation, World Wildlife Fund and National Geographic, as well as covers for magazines such as Outside, Sunset and Time. It includes work for advertising clients such as Apple Computer, Animal Planet, Canon, Discovery Channel, Jaguar and Volkswagen. She has been a contributing editor and columnist for Popular Photography magazine, Director of NPPA Women in Photojournalism and Director of Women in Nature Photography.

In the course of her 30-year career she has traveled to far-flung locales—Africa, Borneo and Antarctica, to name a few—as well as to destinations closer to home to bring back the compelling images that have become her trademark.

“It’s nature’s essence that captures my imagination. The flora and fauna of a given place continue to teach me about the natural rhythms of the earth. Through my lens, I attempt to weave the viewer into the more-than-human field of relations, into the primal perfection of spirit that inspires in us a sense of wonder and belonging”

She now makes use of these uniquely affecting images in another artistic endeavor, photogravure printmaking. Through this technique, the magnetic creatures of the wild take on a haunting new quality, rich in texture and depth of tone.

VIEW ARTWORKS: