Norman Stevens: The Complete Prints
Catalogue raisonné marks first major publication on the artist
May 22, 2023
"A wonderful achievement ... outstanding in every way, worthy of its exceptional subject" - John McEwen
"Elegantly produced ... a fine tribute to an important printmaker" - Rosemary Simmons, Printmaking Today
"A handsome book ... particularly worthy of attention" - Andrew Lambirth, The London Magazine
"Outstanding ... well researched and beautifully illustrated" - Charlotte Maclean, Topiarius
Norman Stevens: The Complete Prints is the first major publication on the artist, whose prints have been the focus of solo exhibitions at the Arnolfini, Tate, Leeds Art Gallery and, most recently in 2014, the Royal Academy.
Stevens' first show at the Redfern was back in 1978, where he was described as "a master of the craft" by John McEwen. A year later, Stevens became the first artist to win multiple prizes at the British International Print Biennale, for his intricate study of Stonehenge, "the most beautiful thing at Bradford", according to Edward Lucie-Smith.
The Redfern staged a full-scale prints retrospective in 1980, at which William Feaver praised Stevens' "marvellous etching prowess", and William Packer declared him "one of the most distinguished printmakers of his generation". In 1983, Stevens was elected to the Royal Academy for his printmaking. His final prints, of imposing trees felled during the Great Storm of October 1987, stand as a poignant metaphor for the artist, who too was struck down in his prime, aged 51.
This catalogue raisonné has been co-authored by John Crossley, who, as co-founder of JC Editions with James Collyer, printed all of Stevens' intaglio prints from 1972 to 1984, and worked with many leading artists of the time, including Hockney, John Hoyland and Henry Moore. This comprehensive publication documents over one hundred prints, encompassing intaglio, lithography and screenprinting, made from 1964 to Stevens' untimely death in 1988. All have been newly photographed and are reproduced in colour, many for the first time. A selection of source photos and rare working proofs are also reproduced, allowing a unique insight into Stevens' printmaking process.
