Jürg Grünig
Mezzotinto
2011

With 16 rotogravures by Jürg Grünig on white BFK Rives paper, 195 g/m², 100% rag. Hand-made binding, embossed, 34.5 x 28.5 cm, 44 pages.
The rotogravures were produced by Jürg Grünig in his workshop in Burgdorf. The title and text were hand-set by Romano Hänni, in Basel, and printed on the hand-operated proofing press. The hand-made bindings were produced by the Atelier für Grafik-, Foto- und Schriftgutrestaurierung Michael Rothe, Bern.
Print run of 25 numbered copies. Five additional artist's copies not intended for sale carry the numbers EA I-V.
An edition with 16 rotogravures was produced in connection with the artist's book.

If colours can be described as profound, this would certainly be justified in this book. The pages by Jürg Grünig display an unexpected intensity, creating – page by page – the type of visual space that your eyes simply want to dive into immediately. Leafing through this book, a regular, positively mystical symphony of colours appears throughout the entire series which defies description and can best be encapsulated by the idea of aisthesis, aesthetics, pure perception.
This aesthetic depth relies on a printing technique in which Jürg Grünig excels as a true master of his craft. The technique is called Mezzotinto, or mezzotint engraving, and means that it is possible to print deep black – blacker than black so to speak. Mezzotinto is an old rotogravure technique developed in 1642 by the German Ludwig von Siegen. The smoothed copperplate is systematically and laboriously roughened by hand using a steel graining tool or a roulette so that a kind of fine and uniform pattern is gradually created. This would explain why a cushioned, regular surface is created on the paper during printing – a surface which offers that special depth and intensity typical of rotogravure.

Konrad Tobler