Pontic Rhododendron 1984

Jim Dine made this etching, Pontic Rhododendron, and you can see the etched lines that create the dark and light tones of the image. Imagine the artist moving the etching tool across the plate. It must have been so physical, almost like gardening itself. I like the way the image is built from these marks – the scratching, the cross-hatching, the almost violent strokes in the background that contrast with the smooth, solid black of the stem. And how the petals are not perfectly formed, but broken up, like the flower is disintegrating. Dine’s known for the personal symbolism in his work, his tools, hearts, and bathrobes, often vulnerable stand-ins for himself. I think his work has a lot in common with other artists of his generation who were looking at art as a form of expression, like Cy Twombly and Joan Mitchell. They're all encouraging us to look at painting in a totally new way!