Migration XII, John Wade (b.1947), intaglio etching, ca. 1970s–80s, 11×15 in, hand-titled and signed.

Migration XII is a striking intaglio etching by American printmaker John Wade, capturing the rhythm and abstraction of a massive avian migration. Executed with Wade’s signature fusion of technical draftsmanship and atmospheric tonal work, the piece presents two complementary sections: a dynamic upper field of birds in motion and a lower field rendered in dense, stippled texture that evokes distance, movement, and natural pattern. Hand-titled and signed, this work exemplifies Wade’s sophisticated approach to line, tone, and conceptual landscape.

Artwork Description

In Migration XII, Wade constructs a powerful visual meditation on movement and scale. The composition is divided horizontally:

Upper Panel

A band of birds sweeps diagonally across the sky, rendered through expressive cross-contours and precise feathering—hallmarks of Wade’s technical illustration background. The flock appears to expand and dissipate simultaneously, capturing the chaotic harmony of migratory flight.

Lower Panel

A textured, stippled field spans the entire bottom section. Wade uses intaglio’s ability to hold fine ink deposits to create a granular, atmospheric mass that suggests thousands of birds seen from afar—a cloud of motion dissolved into tone. The ambiguity between sky, land, and flock heightens the conceptual abstraction of migration as pattern rather than specimen.

Although not executed with photographic emulsion, Migration XII still reflects Wade’s experimental practice:

• meticulous etched linework

• dense tonal fields built from stippling, aquatint-like effects, and selective wiping

• precision in value transitions

• an interplay of realism and abstraction that characterizes his oeuvre

Hand-titled Migration XII and signed John Wade, this is an evocative example of Wade’s ability to blend technical mastery with conceptual lyricism.

Artist Biography

John Wade (born 1947, Charlottesville, Virginia) is an American printmaker known for blending traditional etching, lithography, and relief techniques with early photo-emulsion processes beginning in the late 1960s. His work occupies an important niche in the movement toward experimental printmaking workshops that emerged in the post-war era in the United States.

Wade studied at Elon College (BA) and later earned an Associate of Applied Arts degree from the Technical College of Alamance, focusing on advanced printmaking, drafting, and technical illustration. Between 1967 and 1971, he served in the U.S. Army as a military illustrator, where he refined his precision in linework, perspective, and tonal rendering—skills that would later underpin his etching style.

In 1977, Wade established his own printmaking studio in North Carolina, designing it as an experimental workshopwhere he developed hybrid processes:
• photo-emulsion applied to copper plates
• multi-plate tonal etching
• hand-drawn aquatint overlays
• early light-sensitive resist techniques influenced by commercial photomechanical processes

Wade’s influences include mid-century American regionalist printmakers, technical illustration, early photographic etching pioneers, and the dramatic tonal structures of 19th-century European etchers. He became known for creating imagery that is both realistic and otherworldly, often depicting barns, rural roads, storms, waterfowl, and nocturnal scenes with heightened contrast and emotional intensity.

His work has received awards in regional art competitions throughout the Southeastern United States, and his prints are represented in numerous private collections in the U.S., Europe, and Canada, as well as select university collections with contemporary printmaking programs.

By the 1980s–1990s, Wade’s workshop became a training site for younger printmakers interested in combining analog photographic processes with traditional intaglio—placing him among the early adopters of hybrid photographic/non-silver techniques in studio printmaking.

John Wade, Migration XII. Intaglio etching, 11×15 in. Hand-titled and signed. Strong tonal abstraction of avian migration.

CERTIFICATE OF VALUE & AUTHENTICATION
Artist: John Wade (b.1947)
Title: Migration XII
Date: 1970s–1980s (approx.)
Medium: Intaglio Etching
Dimensions: 11 × 15 inches
Edition: Unique signed impression (no edition number marked)
Signature: Signed “John Wade,” titled by the artist
Authenticity: Verified via signature, plate characteristics, and alignment with Wade’s documented intaglio practice.
Current Owner: Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC

This document certifies the work as an authentic original etching by John Wade.

Provenance Chain

1. Artist’s Studio, North Carolina

2. Private Collection, USA

3. Artfind Gallery, Washington, DC — current owner