Helices I – VI, 2003–2011
Drypoint intaglio on Lanaquarelle 300g HP watercolor paper
Suite of 6 prints; edition of 8
Plate size 21 × 6 in.; paper size 31½ × 12 in.
Published by Manneken Press
Helices I – VI comprise a suite of six drypoint intaglios, each built around a vertically oriented core of wave-like incised lines. In every print, this accumulation of drypoint marks forms a dense, dark central column that divides the plate symmetrically. The closely related lines—coherent, complementary, or subtly varied from one plate to the next—generate a distinct sense of rhythm, harmony, and pitch, producing a visual structure that feels both musical and spatial.
Work on the Helices plates began in 2003, but the project was set aside when the artist was unable to locate a paper that printed these delicate drypoint lines to his satisfaction. In 2011, the Chinati Foundation commissioned Deese to create a benefit edition. Aphros, a drypoint produced at Manneken Press, was printed on heavy watercolor paper. The success of that project prompted a return to the Helices plates. Several were revisited and significantly reworked before the series was printed—now on Lanaquarelle 300g HP paper, whose surface proved ideal for the technique. For this reason, the Helices suite carries the combined dates 2003–2011.