Sarah Gillespie – Antler Moth

Antler Moth is the latest in an ongoing series of Moth mezzotints by Sarah Gillespie. These are meticulously detailed studies of moths, highlighting the diverse and mysterious beauty of these night creatures. The making of the mezzotints is synonymous with the surface of the moths. Through this slow and painstaking method, Gillespie draws each moth from the toothed surface of the printing plate by burnishing the light, trapping the detailed pattern, tones and shape into the surface. There are no hard outlines as gradual tones edge to the darkness surrounding them.

Gillespie is one of only a few artists using the centuries-old medium of mezzotint in her contemporary practice. Within her depictions of moths, moonlit landscapes and blackbirds, she illuminates the beauty of nature and prompts contemplation of the importance of natural spaces and environmental conservation.

She studied 16th & 17th century methods and materials at the Atelier Neo-Medici in Paris and then read Fine Art at Pembroke College, Oxford. Twenty-three ‘Moth’ prints from this series have been acquired by the Victoria & Albert Museum for their permanent print & drawing collection. Her work is held in the Pallant House Gallery, Chichester, the Museum of Fine Arts, Yekaterinburg and the Xuihui Museum of Fine Art, Shanghai.