Untitled (Abstract Composition) 1949

Walt Kuhlman made this abstract print in 1949, likely using etching techniques. Just imagine Kuhlman working on the plate, scratching into it, and then the inky press transferring the image onto paper, a mirror world emerging. You know, artmaking is such a physical, sensual activity. I can almost feel the artist’s hand moving, improvising, responding to the emerging forms. Is this an image of figures in space? It’s hard to tell, but it feels like there might be some ghostly forms lurking in the shadows. I wonder if he was thinking about Picasso or maybe even Goya and the way they twisted up the human form. The darks and lights are so dramatic; it gives the piece a certain weight, a kind of seriousness. But there’s also a playfulness, a freedom in the way the lines dance around each other. Artists keep making pictures because they have to. It's a conversation, with themselves, with other artists. I love the ambiguity and openness. We can all bring our own experiences and interpretations to this piece.