Raven and Locomotive Mezzotint

Locomotive & Raven Mezzotint by Chris Nowicki

Locomotive & Raven Mezzotint by Chris Nowicki

Inspiration for the Entropy/Locomotive Mezzotint came to me on a hike near Skagway, Alaska. There is an old WWII locomotive there slowly rusting in the woods. It is an amazing sight, this old rusting locomotive slowly returning to nature. No wake, no funeral just a quiet decomposition of this once huge, powerful machine. The reference is obvious as we ourselves return to nature in the same way.

The raven depicted in the print also carries heavy symbolism. From my experiences working with Native Americans in Alaska and being exposed to their culture I have learned that the Raven holds a special place in the mythology of this region. Raven is the creator and trickster with the ability to change his appearance into any animal or being. Raven created the earth and stars and put the sun and moon into the sky. So in this print he represents the creator/destroyer and my connection to the Northwest Coast Native American culture.

The river in this print is the Skag River that runs through Skagway, Alaska and represents the passage of time in contrast with the seeming eternal nature of the rocks and stones scattered about.

Northwest Coast Printing

Haines Print Studio

Haines Print Studio

I have been coming to Haines, Alaska in the summer for 18 years to make limited edition serigraphs for Native Americans. Before Alaska I was printing Native Artwork in Seattle and have been doing this work off and on for more than 30 years. The entire process is done by hand, hand-cut stencils and hand printing. My studio is located in the Alaska Indian Arts Building at Fort Seward in Haines.