He who rides the tiger, hand-coloured collagraph print, 106cm x 82cm
Holdfast, hand-coloured collagraph print, 106cm x 82cm
Adrienne Craddock
Adrienne Craddock is a specialist fine art printmaker producing hand-coloured, limited edition, drypoint and collagraph prints. Some of her pictures conjure up fabulous narratives of characters from dreams, myths and fable; others use her experiences of living in a Northern Pennine landscape and of growing up in rural Herefordshire to inform her striking images of birds and beasts.
She has exhibited her work alongside that of Paula Rego, Ana-Maria Pacheco and Elisabeth Frink, and has taken part in a BBC documentary, The Art. Her work has toured in two major exhibitions, Chanticleer and The Mare's Tale; next year she is part of a new touring exhibition, Wagging Tongues which explores the subject of proverbs from around the world, starting in April 2006.
The subject of my work has always evolved from stories, tales and rhymes. Several years ago I made a print titled 'Whistling Woman' which was inspired by a proverb told to me by a friend. I have since discovered many more proverbs which have me chuckling or metaphorically nodding my head in recognition of their truthfulness. Animals, which have long been a subject of my work, frequently feature in proverbs to illustrate the human condition, and it is some of these that I have chosen to depict. I am enjoying exploring their rich visual interpretations and hope to bring the well defined and astute observations of past generations to the attention of the contemporary viewer.
Adrienne Craddock, 2005