Last Light at Ironbridge – The Power Station Remembered Jenny Mason-Gunning Large-Scale Intaglio Etching

Last Light at Ironbridge – The Power Station Rememberedis a large-scale intaglio etching by Jenny Mason-Gunning, capturing the powerful presence of the Ironbridge Power Station before its demolition.For many years, the cooling towers stood as a commanding silhouette within the Ironbridge Gorge — industrial, imposing, and strangely beautiful. Though divisive, they became part of the identity of the landscape. When the decision was made to dismantle the site through controlled explosions, a significant chapter of the Gorge quietly closed.This etching was created before its removal — an act of recording, but also of reflection. Working on a scale larger than A2, Jenny allowed the architecture to dominate the plate, giving space to its height, curvature and tonal mass. The cooling towers rise with both weight and elegance, their industrial geometry softened through the language of etched line and tonal depth.The work balances strength and atmosphere — rich blacks, carefully developed mid-tones, and expansive sky holding the structure in quiet tension. Though the building no longer stands, the print preserves its presence. It becomes both document and elegy.The edition has now completely sold out, making the work part of a closed moment in both landscape and practice. Yet its beauty remains — not as nostalgia, but as testimony to transformation, memory and the evolving character of Ironbridge.