Some Words From The Artist

I've always been a ‘drawer’ my whole life, never going anywhere without a pen or brush or bit of somethin' to make something with. Making work is very easy to me in terms of motivation, and it takes priority over most other aspects of my life. I just love to create. 

At this point in time, etching is my favourite technique and I feel it mirrors my learning and discoveries of history. The process of printing begins with a plate covered in black intaglio ink which is polished meticulously using a cotton bud and a bit of scrim in certain areas which reveals the intricate details carved into the zinc or Perspex plates using a dry point etching tool, scalpel, a pocket knife or pretty much anything sharp that I can get my hands on… I used a fork once. 

In school, I discovered my passion for history. I was lucky enough to spend a few terms in my last year of high school (around age 16) studying the American West which sparked my fascination, as previous to this formal learning, I had only known about the west from Hollywood depictions so seeing the genuine history was incredibly inspirational. To this day I love reading about the West and consuming any and all new information I can. Books such as Hondo, Lonesome Dove, Kilkenny, Killers Of The Flower Moon, All My Relatives, Bury My Heart At Wounded Knee and The Holy Road are just a few of some of my favourites to this date. These stories, whilst being a combination of both fiction and non-fiction have been tools for inspiration and learning throughout my artistic process.

Wilson working in his studio.