Bruce Weinberg’s ‘Turkish Delights’ Etching 1978, Edition #10/50

Design Plus Gallery presents “Turkish Delights” by Bruce Weinberg (1942-1994). The piece is a color etching with aquatint on creme Arches paper by Bruce Weinberg, created in 1978. The artwork features detailed imagery that resembles the weaving of threads or fibers to form a tapestry-like composition. The piece is hand-signed, titled, dated (1978), and numbered (#10 out of an edition of 50) in pencil by the artist. This artwork is framed in a lovely mahogany wood finish and is reported to be in good condition without any visible damage or flaws mentioned.

“Printmaker Bruce Weinberg, a master printmaker and longtime resident of the San Francisco Bay Area, was born in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania on March 10, 1942 to Harry and Mollie Weinberg. He studied Interior Design at the Philadelphia College of Art and Architectural Space Planning at Temple University. During the 1970’s he studied printmaking and drawing at San Francisco’s Fort Mason Art Center.

Bruce created limited edition etchings as well as monoprints on his handmade paper. He was best known for multi-plate color hand pulled etchings of rugs and tapestries, which appear three dimensional with folds, fringes and turned up corners. Etchings were executed by use of traditional hard and soft ground etching technique. Employing multiple copper etching plates, these images were printed on fine rag paper, some with embossed borders.

Truly mixed media works, Weinberg went through many stages and processes to create the finished designs. His works are rich in texture and color and show an incredible attention to detail. Weinberg’s early artwork was influenced by design elements found in Middle Eastern textiles, architecture, exotic animals and an enchantment with Southwestern and American Indian design.

In 1985 Weinberg began experimenting with techniques to produce paper for his etching plates. These papers were free flowing colored cotton pulps, beautifully textured with repeat patterns or marbleized, sometimes enhanced with gold, silver and copper leaf. Artworks in themselves, they constituted the base for his color etching on handmade paper.

In 1990 he created “Tokyo Suite”, his contemporary interpretation Japanese art. “Tokyo Suite” is composed of ten abstract etchings on handmade paper. These pieces may be considered a single art work of ten or any combination of individual etchings. In 1992 he produced the series “Ancient Masters”, a group of four etchings based on sculptured heads typical of Assyrian, Greek, Cambodian and Italian Renaissance styles. Weinberg in his later years became involved in the creation of monoprints. These artworks carry bold, abstract, geometric and calligraphic designs which further explore American Indian motifs and postmodern architecture.

Bruce S. Weinberg died in San Francisco, California on January 26, 1994.”