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In the Silence of Passing Years
Maker
(artist)
1938-10/08/2017
1938-10/08/2017
Title
In the Silence of Passing Years
Date of Production
1980
Medium
mezzotint
Dimensions
Height: 55.1 cm (Sheet)
Width: 73.8 cm (Sheet)
Width: 73.8 cm (Sheet)
Accession Number
G.2024.SP.20
Mode of Acquisition
HM Government Cultural Gifts Scheme, 2024
Credit
Accepted under the Cultural Gifts Scheme by HM Government from the archive of Studio Prints gifted by the Balakjian family and allocated to the Courtauld Gallery, 2024.
Copyright
©The Balakjian Estate
Location
On display
Label Text
The subject of this print, a packing case partly concealed beneath a cloth, recurs throughout Marc Balakjian’s work, hinting at buried trauma and displacement. It alludes to Balakjian’s family history, which was marked by the Armenian genocide in 1915 and subsequent exile.
From the early 1970s, Balakjian worked primarily in mezzotint, a labour-intensive technique that had largely fallen out of use by the 20th century. He found it ideally suited to his subject matter, reflecting that, ‘because of its character it is like a prayer – you are alone with your thoughts [...] your image emerges little by little, from the darkness – from the void.’
From the early 1970s, Balakjian worked primarily in mezzotint, a labour-intensive technique that had largely fallen out of use by the 20th century. He found it ideally suited to his subject matter, reflecting that, ‘because of its character it is like a prayer – you are alone with your thoughts [...] your image emerges little by little, from the darkness – from the void.’
Provenance
Studio Prints, London; accepted under the Cultural Gifts Scheme by HM Government from the archive of Studio Prints gifted by the Balakjian family and allocated to The Courtauld, 2024.
Inscriptions
Recto, below plate mark, lower left, graphite: 'A/P III/XII'; below plate mark, lower centre, graphite: 'In the silence of passing years'; below plate mark, lower right, graphite, 'M.BALAKJIAN 80'
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