Nancy McDonald Reinke displayed the finest draughtsmanship in the world of etching. The self-evident excellence and skill was demonstrated by being able to draw on a metal plate, and better yet, draw in the reverse, so that when the print was printed everything looked in order. This also could be described as outstanding graphic design. She exploits a sense of humor, almost a tongue in cheek in her work, as in the example provided for this blog: "Lap Cat."
In the case of "Lap Cat" she renders a story that takes place in a Victorian interior. The rug on the floor has a Greek meander, the table cloth is a crazy quilt covered with an oversize lace doily, there is an old oil lamp on the table, and the wallpaper is striped. Far in the background is a Renoir brochure with a cat, and portrait of grandma hangs on the wall. We are not sure if it is a child or a Victorian doll sitting on the cat's lap, as the cat becomes a chair within the interior scene.
Hundreds of thousands of lines make up the composition of the fully bodied cat that becomes the chair. Each line knits the cat's fur right on to the paper. She spares no expense with each line in her etching, that is what makes her a master draughtsman and an American manga artist that is telling us a story.
Perhaps it is not surprising that she used cats for many of her etchings, she was a modern cat lady. One article stated: "Nancy was a strong advocate for animal rights owning over 50 cats in her lifetime. She was a member of many animal welfare groups such as Jane Goodall Institute, ASPCA, Washington Animal Rescue league and numerous other organizations. Her passion for animals was also very apparent in her ability to capture animals and their inner personalities in both her etching and paintings."
Reinke was a Chattanooga-born artist, a graduate of Girls Preparatory School and attended Vanderbilt University. She later became a founding artist at the renowned "Torpedo Factory" - a dilapidated munitions center from World War II that was transformed into a magnificent fine arts center in Old Town, Alexandria. She died in 2009.
Her works have been on display at the Library of Congress, State of Virginia Legislative Building, the Torpedo Factory and her works are held in many private collections.
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| "Lap Cat" by Nancy Reinke Etching - Edition 68/75 Signed in Pencil with embossed NR |
Hundreds of thousands of lines make up the composition of the fully bodied cat that becomes the chair. Each line knits the cat's fur right on to the paper. She spares no expense with each line in her etching, that is what makes her a master draughtsman and an American manga artist that is telling us a story.
Perhaps it is not surprising that she used cats for many of her etchings, she was a modern cat lady. One article stated: "Nancy was a strong advocate for animal rights owning over 50 cats in her lifetime. She was a member of many animal welfare groups such as Jane Goodall Institute, ASPCA, Washington Animal Rescue league and numerous other organizations. Her passion for animals was also very apparent in her ability to capture animals and their inner personalities in both her etching and paintings."
Reinke was a Chattanooga-born artist, a graduate of Girls Preparatory School and attended Vanderbilt University. She later became a founding artist at the renowned "Torpedo Factory" - a dilapidated munitions center from World War II that was transformed into a magnificent fine arts center in Old Town, Alexandria. She died in 2009.
Her works have been on display at the Library of Congress, State of Virginia Legislative Building, the Torpedo Factory and her works are held in many private collections.
Reference Note:
Nancy's father was the publisher of the Chattanooga New-Free Press and learned typesetting as a child. It was reported that she often was covered with newspaper ink from head to toe while playing around the presses. This may explain her inclusion of graphic typefaces within her prints, as illustrated below.
Love Me, Love My Dog
Edition 6/100 - Signed Nancy Reinke
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Copyright 2020 - Waller-Yoblonsky Fine Art is a research collaborative, working to track artists that got lost and overlooked due to time, changing styles, race, gender and/or sexual orientation. Our frequent blogs highlight artists and art movements that need renewed attention with improved information for the researcher and art collectors. These photos were created by Mr. Waller and all materials are used under the Fair Use Section 107, Copyright Act, unless otherwise noted. #waller-yoblonskyblogspot #NancyReinke
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