21st CENTURY DÜRER
Micro-engraver, Graham Short - best known for having inscribed the entire Lord's Prayer on the head of a pin, will showcase his first collection at Mayfair's Clarendon Gallery from 15th - 30th September. The body of work, entitled 'The Writers Collection' consists of over 20 pieces that were inspired by Graham's love of words and the power they have to effect profound change.
His micro master-engraving has elevated a range of ubiquitous items to rare works of genius. From pens to pennies, paper clips to pencil sharpeners, Graham has inscribed these items with quotes ranging from the literati of the last couple of centuries to the sometimes irreverent soundbites of contemporary songwriters. These inscriptions sometimes measure just a few thousandths of a millimetre.
The centrepiece of the collection is Fry's Delight on the Band of a Fountain Pen. Done in collaboration with much-loved author and broadcaster Stephen Fry, the pen and its quotation were provided by Stephen Fry and has been bequeathed to the charity English PEN to celebrate the organisation's 90th anniversary.
Known as "the world's smallest engraver" for his miniature masterpieces, Graham has spent almost half a century honing his craft, going to both physical and mental extremes to produce some of the highest-quality engravings in the world. Graham's desire to produce an engraving so small as to be illegible to the naked eye led to the making of his masterpiece The Lord's Prayer Engraved on the Head of a Gold Pin, which can only be seen properly through a powerful microscope.
The Lord's Prayer garnered Graham international fame for his talent and craft and has elevated him to rock-star status, last seen in the 17th century when master engravers Dürer and Robert Nanteuil's work rivalled that of painting and sculpture. The eminence Graham's of artwork has been cemented by a recent piece, Nothing is Impossible Engraved on the Edge of a Razor Blade, which sold for £50,000.
The Clarendon exhibition has been greatly anticipated by collectors as this is the first time Graham will show a themed body of work in its entirety, allowing a rare panorama of his unique talents.
Fry's Delight Fry's Delight (detail)