Can You Hear The Rumble by Marvin Bileck, Amer., (1920-2005)

Softground Etching and Engraving, 2004, Ed. at least 40 in 7 states, 8 x 10, annotated Artist's Proof 6/2 in pencil by the artist, unsigned, tack holes to corners, on cream wove paper. Very few of Marvin Bileck's many etchings were signed at the time of his passing in 2005, and most seem to exist only in a handful of impressions, with no formal lifetime editions. Both Marvin Bileck, and his wife the artist Emily  Nelligan, summered and worked from the rocky coast of Maine's Cranberry island for over 50 years. Bileck's interest was in achieving mastery of the etching process and slowly crafting his own unique vision, informed by intense study of the old masters  in the print rooms of the Louvre, made possible by a Fubright Fellowship early in his career. His many etchings and drawings of Maine are distinguished by endless hours of careful observation, followed by meticulous working of the plate through several states to craft the subtle dynamics of line and texture we see. His prints attain that place where observation and actuality of place distill into the patterned rhythm and pulse of natural forces, with great power, incredible detail and arresting tactility. At other times his prints evoke delicate ephemeral form obcured by the heavy, moisture laden atmosphere his wife Emily Nelligan favored in her work. They often worked side by side, direct from nature, and their artisitc legacy recording the timeless beauty of the Maine landscape was only starting to receive wider acclaim with museum surveys and a series of New York exhibitions late in their life. I'll be offering a selection of Bileck's prints in the near future.