Since the beginning of this year,Peter and Alice Mennacher, owners of BLIZZMAX gallery, have marked August 4th with a big red circle. On that day, Peter will be picking up his good friend, etching teacher and mentor, artist Nicolai Sarafov, arriving from Munich / Germany at Pearson airport. Nicolai was born in Sofia / Bulgaria in 1944, went to art school in Sofia for 5 years and after coming to Munich / Germany in 1970 he attended the Kunstakademie ( Art department of the Munich University ) from 1970 to 1976 where he got his diploma in 1976. In the following years he was freelancing, spending 1979 in the US. In 1981 he became Professor for drawing and illustration at the Fachhochschule in Wuerzburg Germany, where he taught for over 30 years.
It took many years to make this visit come true and was made possible this year as Nicolai retired from his teaching job in 2010. He will stay two weeks in the county. On AUGUST 7 @ 2pm, in collaboration with SPARKBOX Studio, he will give a talk about his work at BLIZZMAX Gallery in South Bay. He will also be giving an etching workshop at SPARKBOX during the week following. On AUGUST 13 @ 7 pm the opening of Professor PRINT, a solo show of Nicolai Sarafov takes place at BLIZZMAX Gallery. Nicolai will show about 20 of his magnificent etchings which he’s bringing with him from Germany.
Nicolai is an outstanding master of the most difficult printing technique – etching and aquatint. Etching and aquatint are intaglio techniques. A plate, usually of copper is used and the lines or areas that create the image are bitten into the plate with an etching needle and by acid. Once the plate has been fully prepared and inked, it is pulled through the press under great pressure , forcing dampened paper into the grooves to pick up the ink and thus the image. Nicolai is not only a master of the technique, he is also an astonishing virtuoso in drawing; if the lines flow too easily he just switches to his left hand. Nicolai’s creativity and phantasy are unlimited and his work contains a heavy dose of humor ( can be dark too )
Nicolai looks back at a long career with hundreds of shows in Europe and the US. He has published quite a few books, as well as the insider art magazine FRAGMENTE, in Munich / Germany.For more than 20 years Nicolai has created a calendar called “ Bilder zur Zeit “ ( images of the times ) and last but definitely not least, he is the creator of a philosophy sui generis called “ Bagonalism “. See: bago.net
Come and see for yourself. Attend the lecture at 2pm on August 7th,and do not miss the opportunity to see his unique work at BLIZZMAX on August 13. The show will run from August 13th to August 27th.
Nicolai Sarafov is indeed one of the finest etchers in the world.
BLIZZMAX Gallery is at 3071 County Rd. 13, in South Bay. For further info you call us at 613 476 7748 and look on our Blog – blizzmax.wordpress.com or on facebook
SPARKBOX Studio info can be found by calling 613 476 0337 or at sparkboxstudio.com or on facebook