Endless Etching

‘Endless Etching’ is a contemporary homage to the age-old craft of intaglio printmaking. Jibbe van Schie built his own automated etching machine that uses the traditional drypoint technique. He ‘trained’ a self-learning algorithm with thousands of etches from digital archives, enabling it to create autonomous works of art. From the input of both historical and contemporary prints, the machine developed its own artistic signature. Instead of engraving a flat copper plate and filling the grooves with ink to make a print, this smart apparatus adds yet another dimension to the craft. It scratches its endless output onto a rotating acrylic tube and the ink is replaced by light. This ongoing series of objects continues the tradition with a present-day twist.