{"id":923615,"date":"2026-04-28T07:54:33","date_gmt":"2026-04-28T07:54:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/923615\/"},"modified":"2026-04-28T07:54:33","modified_gmt":"2026-04-28T07:54:33","slug":"rachel-mentzer-transforms-discarded-cartons-into-dusky-collagraphs-colossal","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/uk\/923615\/","title":{"rendered":"Rachel Mentzer Transforms Discarded Cartons into Dusky Collagraphs \u2014 Colossal"},"content":{"rendered":"

One of the most common sights in cities is birds perched on power lines, although it rarely elicits a second look. Starlings chortle, pigeons coo, and the occasional hawk perches on a pole to scan the ground for its next meal. And yet, as normal as this seems, there\u2019s nothing natural about it. Instead of trees, these feathered creatures rely on whatever infrastructure is around them, from wires and pylons to fences and rooftops.<\/p>\n

For Ohio-based artist Rachel Mentzer<\/a>, nature\u2019s resilience is central to a practice focused on sustainability and environmental renewal. Her work \u201cinvites viewers to reflect on the interplay between human activity and the natural world, emphasizing the adaptability and fragility of nature,\u201d says a statement.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>\u201cFlying Hawks\u201d<\/p>\n

Mentzer\u2019s practice emphasizes collagraphy<\/a>, an intaglio<\/a> printmaking technique in which flattened materials\u2014especially paper and card but also other items like leaves or acrylic surfaces\u2014can be used to create a plate from which to make prints. She meticulously carves the delicate surfaces of found cartons with motifs of birds, trees, and energy infrastructure, then brushes them in polyurethane to preserve and prepare them for printing. Occasionally, she also employs chine coll\u00e9<\/a>, which uses delicate papers, to add colorful backgrounds.<\/p>\n

The artist then coats the design with ink, wipes off the excess, and places the damp substrate into an etching press to transfer the image to a larger sheet of paper, producing the final piece. Thanks to the pressure of the transfer and the way the ink seeps into every handmade and incidental mark, the final print reveals a textural composition with crisp outlines. Birds and urban details alike are inextricable from the silhouette of a material that may have otherwise been destined for the landfill, summoning a constant reminder of the relationship between humans and nature.<\/p>\n

Mentzer\u2019s work was recently included in the Manhattan Graphics Center<\/a>\u2019s community print studio exhibition, and this summer, she\u2019s looking forward to participating in the Suzanne Wilson Artist-in-Residence Program at Glen Arbor Arts Center<\/a> in Michigan. See the artist\u2019s process<\/a> on her website, where you can also check if she will be at an art fair in your area throughout the spring and summer. See more on Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>\u201cAt the Flats\u201d<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>\u201cPylon Birds\u201d<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>\u201cGolden Eagles\u201d<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>\u201cStill Standing\u201d<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>\u201cDockside Watch\u201d<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>\u201cSkybound Over Steel\u201d<\/p>\n

\"a<\/a>\u201cMagnolia Warbler\u201d<\/p>\n

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