“Metamorphosis” by Audrey Grendahl Kuhn is a highly tactile 1970s intaglio etching with deep embossment, signed and numbered 1/100, measuring 20 x 32 inches. This striking work features three circular, richly textured medallions—each uniquely engraved, inked, and printed—symbolizing stages of organic growth, cellular evolution, and cyclical transformation. Kuhn’s command of intaglio processes, including engraving, embossing, and relief-texturing, results in a luminous surface where metallic tones shift under light, giving the artwork a sculptural presence.
Kuhn, a listed artist in Who’s Who in American Art, brings a graphic designer’s precision and a fine artist’s sensitivity to this complex composition. Her works are held in numerous private, institutional, and corporate collectionsnationwide and remain highly regarded for their craftsmanship, symbolism, and mid-century modern aesthetic.
“Metamorphosis” is composed of three circular panels—gold, yellow-gold, and copper-orange—each executed with distinct intaglio techniques that create textural relief, engraved details, and organic patterning. The image is surrounded by a large, architectural embossment, giving the piece depth and framing the cycles of transformation depicted at its center.
The left medallion features swirling, biomorphic forms reminiscent of seedpods or embryonic structures; the central medallion reads as a luminous core or solar disc with layered, masklike textures; the right medallion contains spirals, coils, and cellular imagery suggestive of growth, motion, and emergence. Together, they narrate a symbolic evolution—from origin, to formation, to expansion.
Kuhn’s technique blends:
• Deep intaglio engraving
• Embossed relief and blind stamping
• Multi-plate printing
• Warm metallic pigments blended with earth tones
The result is an elegant, dimensional artwork that captures the themes of growth, transformation, and organic renewal—hallmarks of her 1970s oeuvre.
Signed and numbered 1/100, this is the first impression of the edition, often the crispest and most desirable among collectors.
Audrey Grendahl Kuhn (Born 1929, Chicago, Illinois) is an American printmaker, graphic designer, and educator known for her technically refined intaglio etchings, embossed works, and symbolically rich abstractions created during the mid-20th century through the late 1970s and early 1980s. She is listed in Who’s Who in American Art, and her works are represented in numerous private and corporate collections throughout the United States.
Kuhn received her B.Des. from the University of Michigan, College of Architecture and Design (1952) and additional formal training at Skidmore College, the Russell Sage Division, and professional certification programs in art education. Her early career included significant work as a graphic artist at the Ford Motor Company (1952–56) and as assistant to the Art Director of Ford’s Public Relations Division (1956–57)—roles that shaped her precise visual language, meticulous craftsmanship, and modernist sensibilities.
From the 1960s into the 1970s, Kuhn expanded into fine art printmaking while working as a graphic artist for Shenendehowa High School (1970–72) and later as an art teacher at Shenendehowa Central Schools (1973–74). She also practiced as a part-time interior designer for Concept 2000 Interiors (1974–76), further integrating design principles into her fine art compositions.
Throughout the 1970s, Kuhn maintained an active exhibition career in the Northeast, with notable shows at:
• SUNYA Construction Fund, Albany, NY
• RPI Cultural Center, Troy, NY
• Mohawk-Hudson Regional, SUNYA Art Gallery (1973)
• Saratoga Art Fair (1973)
• Schenectady Museum (“Selections from the Stockade Art Show,” 1973–75)
• Shenendehowa Free Library (solo exhibition, 1973)
• Channel 17, Schenectady (solo exhibition, 1975)
• Unitarian Church of Schenectady (solo exhibition, 1976)
• The Arts Center, Albany (three-woman show, 1976)
• Shenendehowa Arts Festival (First Prize, 1976)
• Albany Artists’ Tent Show (First Prize in Graphics, 1976)
She was also a member or officer within several regional arts organizations, including:
• Graphic Artists, Capital District (Treasurer)
• Schenectady Museum Designer–Crafts Council
• New York State Art Teachers Association
• Oak Room Artists, Schenectady
• Lower Adirondack Region Council on the Arts
Her work was represented by:
• Schenectady Museum Sales–Rental Gallery
• Albany Institute of History and Art Sales-Rental Gallery
• Concept 2000 Interiors, Albany, NY
• Dayspring Graphics, Saratoga Springs, NY
Later Career & Legacy
Post-1977 records and artist-collector documentation show that Kuhn continued producing embossed intaglio prints, mixed-media works, and symbolically driven abstractions into the 1980s. Her works entered a variety of private, corporate, and institutional collections, consistent with her listing in Who’s Who in American Art, which cites both her fine art practice and her contributions as an educator and designer.
Her art is recognized for its refined craftsmanship, innovative embossing, and thematic integration of biological, cosmic, and geometric symbolism. Today, Audrey Grendahl Kuhn remains an important mid-century American printmaker whose work bridges design, architecture, and fine art through technical rigor and thoughtful conceptual clarity.
Audrey Grendahl Kuhn, “Metamorphosis,” 1970s. Intaglio etching with deep embossment, 20x32 in., signed and numbered 1/100. Three medallion triptych exploring organic transformation; excellent impression.
CERTIFICATE OF VALUE & AUTHENTICATION
Artist: Audrey Grendahl Kuhn
Title: Metamorphosis
Date: 1970s
Medium: Intaglio Etching with Embossment
Edition: 1/100 (Signed & Numbered)
Dimensions: 20 x 32 inches
Authenticity: Verified original signed and numbered intaglio etching by the artist.
Condition: Excellent; crisp embossment; strong plate definition; clean margins.
Provenance: Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC
Prepared For: Insurance, appraisal, and gallery documentation
Artist: Audrey Grendahl Kuhn
Early private collection (Northeast USA)
Secondary market
Current Owner: Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC
“Metamorphosis” by Audrey Grendahl Kuhn is a highly tactile 1970s intaglio etching with deep embossment, signed and numbered 1/100, measuring 20 x 32 inches. This striking work features three circular, richly textured medallions—each uniquely engraved, inked, and printed—symbolizing stages of organic growth, cellular evolution, and cyclical transformation. Kuhn’s command of intaglio processes, including engraving, embossing, and relief-texturing, results in a luminous surface where metallic tones shift under light, giving the artwork a sculptural presence.
Kuhn, a listed artist in Who’s Who in American Art, brings a graphic designer’s precision and a fine artist’s sensitivity to this complex composition. Her works are held in numerous private, institutional, and corporate collectionsnationwide and remain highly regarded for their craftsmanship, symbolism, and mid-century modern aesthetic.
“Metamorphosis” is composed of three circular panels—gold, yellow-gold, and copper-orange—each executed with distinct intaglio techniques that create textural relief, engraved details, and organic patterning. The image is surrounded by a large, architectural embossment, giving the piece depth and framing the cycles of transformation depicted at its center.
The left medallion features swirling, biomorphic forms reminiscent of seedpods or embryonic structures; the central medallion reads as a luminous core or solar disc with layered, masklike textures; the right medallion contains spirals, coils, and cellular imagery suggestive of growth, motion, and emergence. Together, they narrate a symbolic evolution—from origin, to formation, to expansion.
Kuhn’s technique blends:
• Deep intaglio engraving
• Embossed relief and blind stamping
• Multi-plate printing
• Warm metallic pigments blended with earth tones
The result is an elegant, dimensional artwork that captures the themes of growth, transformation, and organic renewal—hallmarks of her 1970s oeuvre.
Signed and numbered 1/100, this is the first impression of the edition, often the crispest and most desirable among collectors.
Audrey Grendahl Kuhn (Born 1929, Chicago, Illinois) is an American printmaker, graphic designer, and educator known for her technically refined intaglio etchings, embossed works, and symbolically rich abstractions created during the mid-20th century through the late 1970s and early 1980s. She is listed in Who’s Who in American Art, and her works are represented in numerous private and corporate collections throughout the United States.
Kuhn received her B.Des. from the University of Michigan, College of Architecture and Design (1952) and additional formal training at Skidmore College, the Russell Sage Division, and professional certification programs in art education. Her early career included significant work as a graphic artist at the Ford Motor Company (1952–56) and as assistant to the Art Director of Ford’s Public Relations Division (1956–57)—roles that shaped her precise visual language, meticulous craftsmanship, and modernist sensibilities.
From the 1960s into the 1970s, Kuhn expanded into fine art printmaking while working as a graphic artist for Shenendehowa High School (1970–72) and later as an art teacher at Shenendehowa Central Schools (1973–74). She also practiced as a part-time interior designer for Concept 2000 Interiors (1974–76), further integrating design principles into her fine art compositions.
Throughout the 1970s, Kuhn maintained an active exhibition career in the Northeast, with notable shows at:
• SUNYA Construction Fund, Albany, NY
• RPI Cultural Center, Troy, NY
• Mohawk-Hudson Regional, SUNYA Art Gallery (1973)
• Saratoga Art Fair (1973)
• Schenectady Museum (“Selections from the Stockade Art Show,” 1973–75)
• Shenendehowa Free Library (solo exhibition, 1973)
• Channel 17, Schenectady (solo exhibition, 1975)
• Unitarian Church of Schenectady (solo exhibition, 1976)
• The Arts Center, Albany (three-woman show, 1976)
• Shenendehowa Arts Festival (First Prize, 1976)
• Albany Artists’ Tent Show (First Prize in Graphics, 1976)
She was also a member or officer within several regional arts organizations, including:
• Graphic Artists, Capital District (Treasurer)
• Schenectady Museum Designer–Crafts Council
• New York State Art Teachers Association
• Oak Room Artists, Schenectady
• Lower Adirondack Region Council on the Arts
Her work was represented by:
• Schenectady Museum Sales–Rental Gallery
• Albany Institute of History and Art Sales-Rental Gallery
• Concept 2000 Interiors, Albany, NY
• Dayspring Graphics, Saratoga Springs, NY
Later Career & Legacy
Post-1977 records and artist-collector documentation show that Kuhn continued producing embossed intaglio prints, mixed-media works, and symbolically driven abstractions into the 1980s. Her works entered a variety of private, corporate, and institutional collections, consistent with her listing in Who’s Who in American Art, which cites both her fine art practice and her contributions as an educator and designer.
Her art is recognized for its refined craftsmanship, innovative embossing, and thematic integration of biological, cosmic, and geometric symbolism. Today, Audrey Grendahl Kuhn remains an important mid-century American printmaker whose work bridges design, architecture, and fine art through technical rigor and thoughtful conceptual clarity.
Audrey Grendahl Kuhn, “Metamorphosis,” 1970s. Intaglio etching with deep embossment, 20x32 in., signed and numbered 1/100. Three medallion triptych exploring organic transformation; excellent impression.
CERTIFICATE OF VALUE & AUTHENTICATION
Artist: Audrey Grendahl Kuhn
Title: Metamorphosis
Date: 1970s
Medium: Intaglio Etching with Embossment
Edition: 1/100 (Signed & Numbered)
Dimensions: 20 x 32 inches
Authenticity: Verified original signed and numbered intaglio etching by the artist.
Condition: Excellent; crisp embossment; strong plate definition; clean margins.
Provenance: Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC
Prepared For: Insurance, appraisal, and gallery documentation
Artist: Audrey Grendahl Kuhn
Early private collection (Northeast USA)
Secondary market
Current Owner: Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC
