Chanterelle

Holly Downing

This image is from a new series of mezzotints that Holly Downing has done examining the structures of mushrooms, rending them in black and white in subtle tones that can only be accomplished in mezzotint.

Chanterelle are funnel or trumpet-shaped and have very wavy caps. It is probably the most popular edible mushroom in the world and some people claim that they have an apricot scent. Most chanterelles are yellow or bright orange and one, the black trumpet, is brownish black. Underneath the cap, most species have rounded, forked folds that run almost all the way down the stem which tapers from the cap.

The chanterelle mushroom is coveted as a culinary delicacy, but it is the process of locating the fungi that is part of its lore. Each variety of chanterelle requires a coinciding tree (for instance, in California it is often found on the coast live oak), and weather conditions are key, making them seasonal, as with fruit. In California, they are at their peak in November and April. As well, there are many imposter genuses that appear nearly identical, yet lack the flavor.

Mezzotint is a form of engraving, whose subtle qualities are achieved with tone rather than line. The artist spends many hours “rocking” a copper plate until the plate has thousands of tiny holes, each with a bit of raised burr that hold a tremendous amount of ink. A fully rocked plate prints a lush, velvety black, unparalleled in any other medium. To obtain an image, the artist scrapes the surface of the plate, variously lowering the levels of the burrs so they will hold less ink and thereby yield gradations of dark and light. Gradually an image emerges out of the darkness. The plate is inked by hand and printed on an etching press.