TitleOpen House: Five Engraved Scenes
Artist
Andrew Raftery
(American, b. 1962)
Date2008
MediumCopperplate engraving on laid paper
DimensionsSheet size (Each, slightly variable): 22 × 29 3/4 in.
Mat size (Each, slightly variable): 24 × 30 in.
SubmissionNA diploma presentation, November 18, 2009
Credit LineNational Academy of Design, New York, NY
Object number2009.22
Label TextAndrew Raftery studied at Boston University and completed his MFA at Yale University in printmaking. Throughout his career he has used different approaches to traditional etching and engraving techniques. Raftery's work also has a strong sequential dimension to it and the artist has said that "when working with multiple images, it is much more generative and much more open-ended to develop the story itself." The "Open House" series is a five-part narrative that depicts a different moment of time during an open house, and according to Raftery, is a commentary on the "current definitions of home, family, and the standards of interpersonal interaction." The different ages of life and the changing tastes in design and style are represented throughout the series. This series was the result of a laborious process of preparation including creating models of the two-story home and wax studies of each of the characters.
