Lithograph on paper
Tate Collection
Works with images
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Collection
<a href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artists/william-crutchfield-963" aria-label="More by William Crutchfield" data-gtm-name="header_link_artist" data-gtm-destination="page--artist">William Crutchfield</a>
Trestle Trains
Presented by Tyler Graphics Ltd in honour of Pat Gilmour, Tate Print Department 1974-7, 2004
abstraction
architecture
bridge
bridges and viaducts
crash
from recognisable sources
man-made
objects
society
tools and machinery
toys and models
train
train
transport: land
trestle
wood
<p>This work is from a series called <i>Five Trains</i>, which forms part of the body of work Crutchfield produced at the Tyler print workshop in New York from January 1977 to January 1978. The works are lithographs produced from stone and aluminum plates, with a separate plate for each colour. Crutchfield made his drawings with litho-crayon, pen and air brush. The works are printed on Arches 88 mould-made paper in editions of forty-eight with between fourteen and seventeen artist’s proofs.</p>
paper print lithograph
Trestle Trains
image: 940 × 1353 mm
Presented by Tyler Graphics Ltd in honour of Pat Gilmour, Tate Print Department 1974-7, 2004
<p>This work is from a series called <i>Five Trains</i>, which forms part of the body of work Crutchfield produced at the Tyler print workshop in New York from January 1977 to January 1978. The works are <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/l/lithography" title="Glossary definition for 'Lithography'"><span>lithographs</span></a> produced from stone and aluminum plates, with a separate plate for each colour. Crutchfield made his <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/d/drawing" title="Glossary definition for 'Drawing'"><span>drawings</span></a> with litho-crayon, pen and air brush. The works are printed on Arches 88 mould-made <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/paper" title="Glossary definition for 'Paper'"><span>paper</span></a> in <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/e/edition" title="Glossary definition for 'Edition'"><span>editions</span></a> of forty-eight with between fourteen and seventeen artist’s proofs.
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<br/>Born in Indianapolis, Crutchfield studied at the Herron School of Art in Indianapolis, where he later worked, Tulane University in New Orleans and the State Art Academy in Hamburg. Earlier <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/p/print" title="Glossary definition for 'Print'"><span>prints</span></a> such as <i>Alphabet Spire II</i> 1972 (Tate <a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/crutchfield-alphabet-spire-ii-p04153" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>P04153</span></a>) show a strong interest in graphic design, with block-like letters taking on a sculptural quality. Crutchfield also produced three editioned <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/s/sculpture" title="Glossary definition for 'Sculpture'"><span>sculptures</span></a> in <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/c/cast" title="Glossary definition for 'Cast'"><span>cast</span></a> <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/m/metal" title="Glossary definition for 'Metal'"><span>bronze</span></a> at the Tyler workshop in 1977 based on text and numerals conceived in three dimensions.
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<br/>Crutchfield’s prints are whimsical in nature, characterized by simple cartoon-like drawings and humorous subject matter. Each print in this series uses the motif of a train to depict a number of simple puns. In <i>Trestle Trains</i> 1978 (Tate <a class="acno-pop" data-gtm-destination="page--artwork" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="https://www.tate.org.uk/art/artworks/crutchfield-trestle-trains-p12063" title="View the details of this artwork"><span>P12063</span></a>), two toy steam engines face each other on a precarious wooden trestle bridge The trains rear up like mountain goats locking horns to see which of the two will be able to pass. The sunset effect of the background’s graduated <a class="glossarylinktopopup" data-gtm-destination="article-page" data-gtm-name="body_text_link" href="http://www.tate.org.uk/learn/online-resources/glossary/t/tone" title="Glossary definition for 'Tone'"><span>tones</span></a> of pink and yellow lends the scene a sense of finality, like a final showdown.
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<br/><b>Further reading:</b>
<br/><i>William Crutchfield: Five Trains and Zeppelin Island</i>, Tyler Graphics Ltd., New York, 1978, reproduced in colour, unpaginated.
<br/><i>Tyler Graphics Catalogue Raisonné, 1974-1985</i>, Walker Arts Center, Minneapolis, USA, 1987, pp.110-15, reproduced p.114 in colour.
<br/>Sean Rainbird, ed., <i>Print Matters: The Kenneth E. Tyler Gift</i>, exhibition catalogue, Tate, 2004, pp.36-7, reproduced p.37 in colour.
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<br/>Maria Bilske</p>

Summary
2005-12-22T00:00:00
summary
SHORT_TEXT
abstraction architecture bridge bridges and viaducts crash from recognisable sources man-made objects society tools and machinery toys and models train train transport: land trestle wood