color mezzotint and aquatint
2003
9 3/8 x 6 3/16
edition: 120
signed in pencil
Retif and Salzer # 81
This frozen backyard garden belongs to the elegant corner house at 51 Eighth Avenue between Berkeley Place and Plaza Street in the Park Slope district of Brooklyn. Just steps off Grand Army Plaza, the peaceful snow-covered branches of the tree, filled with intricate lacy patterns, provide a contrast to the vertical regularity of the draped window and fence at the rear of the house
Moody, mysterious, majestic – these are some of the ways to describe the mezzotints of Frederick Mershimer. His images travel through the serenity of a Brooklyn neighborhood on a still night, rush past the frenzy of taxis jockeying for position around a New York cathedral, and parade down the fire-lit streets of New Orleans in its mythical Mardi Gras celebration. The evocative realism he creates transports the viewer beyond first appearances to reveal the hidden beauty and vitality of his scene. At first glance, his work can be interpreted as bold naturalism. Yet, he skillfully choreographs lighting and detail while altering perspective to draw the viewer’s attention to the essence of the piece. Mershimer’s mezzotints speak to both the grit and grandeur of the modern American city.
