"The Water Tower," a captivating limited edition etching by highly collected Australian Artist Peter Hickey, rises from the 'New York Winter' folio as an expressive depiction of urban solitude within the natural environment. This work, edition 15 in a series of 20, shows the stark beauty of a winter day, with the skeletal branches of leafless trees entwined to frame the distant silhouette of a water tower. Hickey's masterful etching technique lends a delicate yet intense texture to the intertwined branches, creating an almost tangible atmosphere that invites viewers to contemplate the interplay of nature and human-made structures, producing an almost tactile environment that compels viewers to consider the interaction of nature and the built environment.
The vertical composition mirrors the rising towers of New York City. The striking contrast between deep blacks and light greys conjures the cold of winter. At the same time, the water tower, which is partially concealed by the dense thicket, serves as a metaphor of the urban environment's resilience in the face of seasonal change. Hickey's ability to fill the scenario with expressionist passion demonstrates his artistic skill. The etching's expressive yet expertly composed lines and contrasting tones are reminiscent of the early twentieth-century expressionists, who used form distortion and colour intensification to portray emotion. While Hickey's palette is restricted, the piece's emotional resonance is just as powerful.
The artist's influences can be traced back to Edward Hopper and Charles Burchfield, whose paintings frequently represented contemplative solitude through urban and rural settings. Hickey, too, depicts a solitary moment, but his expressionist elements—embodied in the organic jumble of the branches—give the piece a dynamic energy that is both haunting and beautiful. In "The Water Tower," Peter Hickey transforms the peaceful grandeur of a winter's day into a visual language rich in texture and depth. This etching exemplifies the artist's skilled use of the medium and sensitive awareness to the subtle drama of ordinary life. It is a piece that encourages meditation on the complex relationship between man and nature, as well as the enduring beauty found in the harshness of winter.
Note:
This artwork is a single etching and is sold separately. The etching is part of a larger folio of 9 artworks, in an edition 16 of 20. The etchings are available individually (this listing) or as a complete folio. The complete folio contains 9 different artworks in total (please refer to the edition preface plate image for the other titles in the New York Winter folio).
The complete folio is available for purchase in the original presentation box as designed by the artist. Please contact the Studio for details should you wish to purchase all 9 works (the complete New York Winter folio, 2006).
- Edition: Edition 16 of 20
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