LX 1973

Joan Rosenwald Scott made this abstract print, LX, using shapes and a restrained palette of blues. The texture throughout the piece is uneven with the blocks of blue overlaid onto a lighter hazy ground. This makes me think about printmaking as a process, where the artist layers different colors and shapes to create the final image. In the lower half of the print, you can see the letters LX, but the other shapes are less defined; more evocative. Look how the blue ink spreads out from the geometric forms, creating a halo effect. Scott plays with the tension between precision and chance. In some ways, it reminds me of the paintings of someone like Robert Delaunay, although the feeling is very different. Delaunay embraces bold colours while Scott keeps things cooler, calmer. Ultimately, it’s these juxtapositions and the unresolved relationships between the shapes that keeps me coming back to this print.