Artwork
Crevice
Crevice is a print by Cynthia Bernheim. It dates from 2010 and is held in the collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum.
About this work
Overview
Created in 2010, *Crevice* is a collograph by Cynthia Bernheim, a print made from a textured plate built with layered materials. The work is signed, dated, and numbered by the artist, affirming its place as a limited edition. Its restrained palette and minimal composition reflect a quiet, contemplative approach to abstraction, emphasizing texture over narrative.
Subject & Meaning
The title *Crevice* suggests a fissure or opening, echoed in the central horizontal line that divides the composition. Two faint, undulating forms suggest landforms or erosion, but no literal landscape is depicted. The ambiguity invites interpretation—whether as geological, emotional, or metaphysical—without prescribing a single reading, leaving space for quiet reflection.
Technique & Style
Bernheim used collography, building the printing plate with thin, layered materials to create subtle surface variations. The print’s soft grays, whites, and muted brown emerge through delicate, sketch-like lines that suggest depth without heavy contrast. The black border frames the image, enhancing its sense of isolation and focusing attention on the textured, sunken forms within.
History & Provenance
The work was produced in 2010 as part of Bernheim’s ongoing exploration of printmaking as a means to capture subtle natural phenomena. It remains in private hands, with no public exhibition history documented. Its limited edition status and artist’s signature confirm its authenticity and intentional production within a small run.
Context
Bernheim’s work aligns with late 20th- and early 21st-century printmakers who favor minimalism and material experimentation over figurative representation. Her use of earth tones and tactile surfaces connects to broader interests in landscape abstraction and the physicality of print media, resonating with artists who explore nature through indirect, non-literal means.
Legacy
While not widely exhibited, *Crevice* exemplifies Bernheim’s contribution to contemporary printmaking through its emphasis on process and restraint. Its quiet aesthetic has influenced emerging artists working in non-traditional print media, particularly those drawn to the interplay of texture, negative space, and subtle tonal variation in abstract compositions.
Artist & collection
Artist
Cynthia Bernheim prints the quiet between things—edges, cracks, the sliver of sky you catch through a crevice.
