Sarah Gillespie – White Ermine Moth

$700*

*Price listed for IFPDA Print Fair. The recommended retail price (RRP) is in GBP (£). The equivalent price in US dollars may vary according to the currency exchange rate on the day of purchase.

White Ermine Moth is one of a series of moth mezzotints by Sarah Gillespie. Moths have been on Earth longer than flowering plants and mammals and these meticulously detailed studies highlight their diverse and mysterious beauty. Through the slow and painstaking method of mezzotint engraving, Gillespie draws the patterns, tones and textures of each moth from the toothed surface of the copper plate. There are no outlines in mezzotint and the resulting chiaroscuro and soft, dissolving edges, speak poetically to the growing absence of these creatures from our bright lives.

Sarah Gillespie uses her mastery of drawing and printmaking skills to explore her subjects. Her contemplative depictions of moths, birds and moonlit landscapes encourage us to value and attend more closely to the natural world. The quality of light is central to her compelling imagery, informing her selection of methods and materials. Drawings and works on paper often include intricate webs of charcoal or silverpoint marks. She is one of only a few artists using the centuries-old medium of mezzotint in her contemporary practice.

Gillespie studied 16th and 17th century art methods and materials at the Atelier Neo Medici in Paris before going on to read Fine Art at The Ruskin School of Drawing and Fine Art, Oxford University. Extensive collections of her mezzotints are held by The Victoria and Albert Museum, London and Bibliothèque Nationale de France, Paris. Other public collections include: The Fitzwilliam Museum, University of Cambridge; Pallant House Gallery, Chichester; Chippenham Museum, Wiltshire, and Xuhui Art Museum, Shanghai. In 2022 The National Portrait Gallery, London commissioned her to make a special work and a film for their permanent displays.