Set of 4 Original Prints – 1994 Intaglio & Woodcut, Signed, Fresh Finds Collection by Kenney Mencher (Set #6)
FREE SHIPPING
Shipping takes 3-4 Weeks
This ships from Round Lake Beach, Illinois. A suburb outside of Chicago.
I use UPS and sometimes US Post.
These four works on paper are all part of my Fresh Finds series—prints I made in graduate school while exploring different kinds of intaglio and reduction woodcut techniques. At the time (1994), I was experimenting a lot with noir imagery and mid-century aesthetics. I was also influenced by early filmmakers, comic books, and narrative illustration. All of these pieces were handmade by me and pulled in very small editions—two of these are artist's proofs, and one is a rare second state version.
Here’s a bit more about each one:
“Rear Window” (Artist’s Proof)
This is a small intaglio and aquatint print showing a silhouetted figure in profile looking toward a distant window where another figure appears. The style is sketchy and minimal, with stylized angular hatching and a muted gray tone from the aquatint. I was experimenting with nonlocal color through value and texture here—there’s no actual color, but the contrast of light and shadow does the storytelling. The composition is vertically aligned and asymmetrical, with the subject pushed to the lower left and the window breaking that negative space in the upper right. This was printed as an artist’s proof (A.P.), which just means I pulled it for myself, outside the numbered edition.
“Gretas” (2nd State, 2/4)
This print is one of only four from the second state. You’re seeing a woman standing in front of a window, back turned, facing a nighttime cityscape. There’s a lamp in the foreground and tonal variation in the background that helps establish atmosphere. This one leans toward a naturalistic treatment of form, especially in the figure’s clothing and hair. You can see I was starting to focus more on interior light and how it wraps around forms. I often went back to plates to revise them—this second state has a deeper value range and more texture than the first version.
“Back Room” (Artist’s Proof)
This is one of my early narrative intaglio prints with aquatint and detailed line etching. It shows four people sitting around a table, possibly playing cards or deep in conversation, under a single lamp. It’s a wide, horizontal composition with strong chiaroscuro contrasts. The placement of the lamp at the top and the shoulders of the seated figures create a stable pyramidal structure. I was working through how to layer figures to create drama and intimacy in a small space.
“Avoidance” (6/8)
This is a reduction woodcut—a type of print where I cut and printed multiple layers from the same block. Once a layer is cut away, it can’t be reprinted, so each step is permanent. This print features two men, one in profile and one turning away. The background is filled with diagonal and vertical cuts to create a sense of movement and tension. It’s definitely stylized—lots of angular, exaggerated marks and distortions in proportion, like the enlarged hand of the central figure. The yellow and black palette was my way of playing with old detective comic vibes.
What’s an Artist’s Proof?
An artist’s proof (A.P.) is a print that the artist keeps for themselves or pulls during the early stages of printing to check the quality. They’re outside the regular numbered edition and usually limited in number. Collectors often value them for their rarity and direct connection to the artist’s hand.
Details
Mediums: intaglio with aquatint, reduction woodcut
Sizes: Vary from 4x6 inches to 11x15 inches (paper sizes)
Year: 1994
Condition: Excellent, unframed, signed and numbered in pencil
Series: Fresh Finds
Prints: “Rear Window” (A.P.), “Gretas” (2nd State 2/4), “Back Room” (A.P.), “Avoidance” (6/8)
FREE SHIPPING
Shipping takes 3-4 Weeks
This ships from Round Lake Beach, Illinois. A suburb outside of Chicago.
I use UPS and sometimes US Post.
These four works on paper are all part of my Fresh Finds series—prints I made in graduate school while exploring different kinds of intaglio and reduction woodcut techniques. At the time (1994), I was experimenting a lot with noir imagery and mid-century aesthetics. I was also influenced by early filmmakers, comic books, and narrative illustration. All of these pieces were handmade by me and pulled in very small editions—two of these are artist's proofs, and one is a rare second state version.
Here’s a bit more about each one:
“Rear Window” (Artist’s Proof)
This is a small intaglio and aquatint print showing a silhouetted figure in profile looking toward a distant window where another figure appears. The style is sketchy and minimal, with stylized angular hatching and a muted gray tone from the aquatint. I was experimenting with nonlocal color through value and texture here—there’s no actual color, but the contrast of light and shadow does the storytelling. The composition is vertically aligned and asymmetrical, with the subject pushed to the lower left and the window breaking that negative space in the upper right. This was printed as an artist’s proof (A.P.), which just means I pulled it for myself, outside the numbered edition.
“Gretas” (2nd State, 2/4)
This print is one of only four from the second state. You’re seeing a woman standing in front of a window, back turned, facing a nighttime cityscape. There’s a lamp in the foreground and tonal variation in the background that helps establish atmosphere. This one leans toward a naturalistic treatment of form, especially in the figure’s clothing and hair. You can see I was starting to focus more on interior light and how it wraps around forms. I often went back to plates to revise them—this second state has a deeper value range and more texture than the first version.
“Back Room” (Artist’s Proof)
This is one of my early narrative intaglio prints with aquatint and detailed line etching. It shows four people sitting around a table, possibly playing cards or deep in conversation, under a single lamp. It’s a wide, horizontal composition with strong chiaroscuro contrasts. The placement of the lamp at the top and the shoulders of the seated figures create a stable pyramidal structure. I was working through how to layer figures to create drama and intimacy in a small space.
“Avoidance” (6/8)
This is a reduction woodcut—a type of print where I cut and printed multiple layers from the same block. Once a layer is cut away, it can’t be reprinted, so each step is permanent. This print features two men, one in profile and one turning away. The background is filled with diagonal and vertical cuts to create a sense of movement and tension. It’s definitely stylized—lots of angular, exaggerated marks and distortions in proportion, like the enlarged hand of the central figure. The yellow and black palette was my way of playing with old detective comic vibes.
What’s an Artist’s Proof?
An artist’s proof (A.P.) is a print that the artist keeps for themselves or pulls during the early stages of printing to check the quality. They’re outside the regular numbered edition and usually limited in number. Collectors often value them for their rarity and direct connection to the artist’s hand.
Details
Mediums: intaglio with aquatint, reduction woodcut
Sizes: Vary from 4x6 inches to 11x15 inches (paper sizes)
Year: 1994
Condition: Excellent, unframed, signed and numbered in pencil
Series: Fresh Finds
Prints: “Rear Window” (A.P.), “Gretas” (2nd State 2/4), “Back Room” (A.P.), “Avoidance” (6/8)
FREE SHIPPING
Shipping takes 3-4 Weeks
This ships from Round Lake Beach, Illinois. A suburb outside of Chicago.
I use UPS and sometimes US Post.
These four works on paper are all part of my Fresh Finds series—prints I made in graduate school while exploring different kinds of intaglio and reduction woodcut techniques. At the time (1994), I was experimenting a lot with noir imagery and mid-century aesthetics. I was also influenced by early filmmakers, comic books, and narrative illustration. All of these pieces were handmade by me and pulled in very small editions—two of these are artist's proofs, and one is a rare second state version.
Here’s a bit more about each one:
“Rear Window” (Artist’s Proof)
This is a small intaglio and aquatint print showing a silhouetted figure in profile looking toward a distant window where another figure appears. The style is sketchy and minimal, with stylized angular hatching and a muted gray tone from the aquatint. I was experimenting with nonlocal color through value and texture here—there’s no actual color, but the contrast of light and shadow does the storytelling. The composition is vertically aligned and asymmetrical, with the subject pushed to the lower left and the window breaking that negative space in the upper right. This was printed as an artist’s proof (A.P.), which just means I pulled it for myself, outside the numbered edition.
“Gretas” (2nd State, 2/4)
This print is one of only four from the second state. You’re seeing a woman standing in front of a window, back turned, facing a nighttime cityscape. There’s a lamp in the foreground and tonal variation in the background that helps establish atmosphere. This one leans toward a naturalistic treatment of form, especially in the figure’s clothing and hair. You can see I was starting to focus more on interior light and how it wraps around forms. I often went back to plates to revise them—this second state has a deeper value range and more texture than the first version.
“Back Room” (Artist’s Proof)
This is one of my early narrative intaglio prints with aquatint and detailed line etching. It shows four people sitting around a table, possibly playing cards or deep in conversation, under a single lamp. It’s a wide, horizontal composition with strong chiaroscuro contrasts. The placement of the lamp at the top and the shoulders of the seated figures create a stable pyramidal structure. I was working through how to layer figures to create drama and intimacy in a small space.
“Avoidance” (6/8)
This is a reduction woodcut—a type of print where I cut and printed multiple layers from the same block. Once a layer is cut away, it can’t be reprinted, so each step is permanent. This print features two men, one in profile and one turning away. The background is filled with diagonal and vertical cuts to create a sense of movement and tension. It’s definitely stylized—lots of angular, exaggerated marks and distortions in proportion, like the enlarged hand of the central figure. The yellow and black palette was my way of playing with old detective comic vibes.
What’s an Artist’s Proof?
An artist’s proof (A.P.) is a print that the artist keeps for themselves or pulls during the early stages of printing to check the quality. They’re outside the regular numbered edition and usually limited in number. Collectors often value them for their rarity and direct connection to the artist’s hand.
Details
Mediums: intaglio with aquatint, reduction woodcut
Sizes: Vary from 4x6 inches to 11x15 inches (paper sizes)
Year: 1994
Condition: Excellent, unframed, signed and numbered in pencil
Series: Fresh Finds
Prints: “Rear Window” (A.P.), “Gretas” (2nd State 2/4), “Back Room” (A.P.), “Avoidance” (6/8)
