Night Gods

Ian Hugo

Though editioned at 30 Hugo's printing records indicate that he only printed 10 impressions, each varying in the depth of the blacks and on various papers. The copper plate for "Night Gods" is in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), New York.

Hugo scratched the plate surface with something rough, perhaps sandpaper that creates a web of swirling white lines on the composition. On top of these he used aquatint for the blacks and further engraved sinuous white lines that project forward from the background. The composition itself evokes many emerging surreal, dreamlike images - nightmares?

A fictionalized portrait of Ian Hugo, whose given name was Hugh Parker Guiler, and his wife, author Anais Nin appears in Philip Kaufman's 1990 film "Henry & June." Hugo was one the the early printmakers to help establish the Atelier 17 in New York with Stanley William Hayter, who he had known in Paris. Hugo wanted to learn engraving so he could illustrate Anais Nin's books.