Artist

Lacroix, Richard

Title

Alfatiere

Technique

etching

Date

1962

Dimensions

51.7cm height x 54.3cm width

Type

print

Accession Number

1963.2

Owner

City of Burnaby

Collection

Permanent Collection

Richard Lacroix is a Canadian printmaker, painter, sculptor (b. 1939). He learned etching, lithography, silk-screen and block printing in Montréal with Albert Dumochel. Under an Arts Council of Canada grant (1961) he went to Paris, where he studied with Stanley Hayter at Atelier 17 and learned that studio's method of multicolour printing from one plate, a technique unknown in Canada. Shortly after his return to Montréal in 1964, Lacroix set up his own workshop and quickly drew other artists eager to learn the new techniques. Committed to reaching the widest audience possible, he established La Guilde graphique (1966) to generate public interest by distributing prints. Lacroix's prints are often highly organized geometrics or carefully orchestrated abstractions of great technical expertise. By pioneering colour printing in intaglio, working to establish the print as an "original" work of art and attempting to make the public more aware of the print medium, he has greatly increased respect for Canadian prints.