Printmaking is a crucial part of Gnosspelius' art practice, so it was natural that these drawings became etchings. The lines were etched deeply, then a layer of aquatint was applied, which usually became too dark, resulting in him having to scrape and burnish the image back into life. Gnosspelius has a soft spot for scratches and foul-bite, so for some of the prints he used the back of old plates as a starting point. This way, it was a matter of finding which old scars in the plate could live within the image and which he had to scrape back. Seven years later and the project has developed into a wordless picture book of eighty pages of etchings. There is no text because Gnosspelius wants the images to be open to the reader’s interpretation. The book is called 'bear' and was published by Seven Stories Press in New York in the spring of 2023. Gnosspelius' work is grounded in a sense of play, but also draws on a range of emotions; from feelings of happiness to sadness and anger or frustration. His practice and use of drawing is a way for him to digest the world around him and the world inside him. Gnosspelius has been living in London since 2002, when he graduated from Edinburgh College of Art. He shares a studio in South London with two talented artists and his main mode of transport is an rusty, beaten up, old bicycle.

Bear 47 (with bottle)

Edition of 22

Etching and aquatint on paper.

Image: 11.7 x 11.3 cm

Paper: 19 x 19 cm

2023