Elpseth Lamb, RSA (born 1951) is a Scottish artist who mainly specialises in lithographic printmaking, as well as lecturing and publishing on the subject. She is known for using lithographic limestone which had fallen out of favour with other artists. She has had various residencies and taught all over the world, though mostly based in Scotland. Her style uses bold colours and often covers traditional stories and themes.
A fascination with nature underpins Elspeth Lamb’s prints, complementing the artist’s interest in Baroque style and Victorian decorative arts.
This lithograph is an extension of her ‘Les Fleurs du Mal’ series, named after the poems of 19th Century French poet Baudelaire. The image combines a thistle and a rose combined to create an unnatural species, a reaction against the plant classification defined by Victorian botanists. It was printed using a photolithographic process, with the key image printed using a traditional lithographic stone. Elspeth Lamb was one of the first artists to use the Print Studio when it was set up in 1972, and has also worked as the Studio’s etching technician.
This print was made as part of the 40/40 exhibition in 2013, to mark 40 years of Glasgow Print Studio. 40 artists were each invited to make an edition of 40 prints, which was exhibited at Glasgow Print Studio from 24th August to 13th October 2013.
