Eska Marsh
Contemporary Artist and Printmaker
Eska Marsh graduated from BA(Hons) Contemporary Craft at Falmouth in 2015. This course no longer runs.
Based in Bristol, Eska creates monochromatic scenes of still life and objects in the home. The prints are made using drypoint and carborundum, and draw on vintage and antique pieces, architecture and modernist art.
"I am a British contemporary artist living and working in Bristol, UK. I primarily work with drypoint and carborundum to create monochromatic scenes of still life and objects in the home. Drypoint is a printmaking technique where I scratch an image directly into a metal plate using a sharp tool. The prints often have soft, velvety lines because of the burr, which is why I love this medium so much. I think it really lends itself to my form of image making. My inspiration comes from a mixture of things: the objects I live with, vintage and antique pieces, still life, architecture and the visual language of modernist artists. I'm particularly drawn to work that feels pared back but still has warmth and character. I'm always looking at how a small change in shape, scale, position or texture can completely alter the feeling of an image."
How has Falmouth has shaped the work you do now?
"Studying Contemporary Craft at Falmouth has had a big influence on the way I work as a printmaker now. The course gave me lots of space to experiment with different materials and processes and, most importantly, to figure out what felt right for me. Although I've moved into printmaking since graduating, a lot of the skills I picked up at Falmouth, like developing ideas, experimenting with processes and being open to unexpected results, have definitely stayed with me. Having the freedom to experiment and find your own way of working is something I really valued at Falmouth, and it's definitely had an impact on the practice I have now."