Ardmore Reminiscences: Toward Wynnewood, c. 1927 1969

Editor: This is Jerome Kaplan’s “Ardmore Reminiscences: Toward Wynnewood, c. 1927”, an etching from 1969. It’s a striking geometric landscape. What jumps out to you about this print? Curator: Well, the initial appeal certainly lies in its deceptive simplicity, right? The print’s effectiveness, to me, speaks to the labor-intensive etching process itself. Kaplan coaxes depth from a monochrome palette, using the deliberate removal of material to generate these tonal shifts. I’m also wondering if the artist aimed to address the social changes of Wynnewood, a site of industrial production, in this piece. Editor: Interesting. It looks like a fairly typical landscape, though. So, what gives you that impression? Curator: The title provides one important cue – it speaks of reminiscences. It evokes a memory not necessarily of a picturesque countryside, but one of labor. A worker walking this road might view it as another pathway for production. Consider the artist’s choice of printmaking: a medium inherently tied to reproduction, dissemination, and arguably, accessibility. It’s not some singular, rarefied painting. Kaplan seems interested in mass communication. Editor: I see what you mean! The geometric shapes don't depict reality so much as a constructed memory of it. What do you think he's saying by obscuring the scene so much? Curator: Perhaps Kaplan aims to make visible the often-invisible labor underpinning our constructed landscapes. He also pushes against the grain, as the landscape tradition so frequently conceals material realities. What’s your take? Editor: I like that reading. I hadn’t considered the impact of etching and geometric shapes as material considerations before. It all definitely gives me a new appreciation for the work.