Untitled (Nets), 2002

In representing objects and buildings by the spaces that surround them, Rachel Whiteread memorializes not only her subjects but also their real or imagined histories. For the edition Untitled (Nets), which is based on drawings of discarded lace, the artist inverted a traditional printmaking process: where metal plates are usually etched with acid, inked and printed on paper, here are the plates themselves, etched through with jets of acid using a method usually confined to industrial manufacturing. The resulting artwork preserve the fragile beauty of the lace while emphasizing the solidity of its new medium. Rachel Whiteread thus creates a compelling contrast between the softness of handcrafted textiles and the rigidity of industrial production, evoking themes of memory, materiality, and craftsmanship. 
This edition is part of the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, New York, as well as the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC.