Frottage technique brings magic

It was made famous by surrealist artist Max Ernst, but other well known 20th century artists made good use of it, as mentioned on the National Galleries Scottland‘s website. Ernst may have pioneered and even gave frottage technique its name, but the technique of rubbing paper or fabric with pigment over textured objects, had long been used in various contexts. In 2015, the Hammer Museum, Los Angeles, co-presented with The Menil Collection, Houston, an exquisite exhibition titled Apparitions: Frottages and Rubbings from 1860 to Now. Extremely well curated by Allegra Pesenti from the Menil Drawing Institute, the body of works shows the variety of media used alongside frottage and the incredible resulting images. Who would have thought one could use frottage on a typewriter?

To this day, artists from all backgrounds use the technique. One of our favorites is composer and conceptual artist Roger Clark Miller. Discover his visual art. For his music, follow The Anvil Orchestra. Live performers need and deserve our support during these dire times.

Frottage technique can make for a fun family adventure for rediscovering immediate surroundings. It is quick to use with whatever pencil, crayon or ink and never fails to lift the magic off seemingly ordinary objects.

Pete (Scrawl/Frottage), 2004, by Roger Clark Miller. Source: RogerClarkMiller.com, 29 August 2021

One thought on “Frottage technique brings magic”

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