Spiel in der Uhr 1958

Walter Rauch etched ‘Spiel in der Uhr,’ or ‘Play in the Clock’ in 1958, and what a fitting title for a piece so intricate it resembles the inner workings of a timepiece. Rauch creates an ornate framework, meticulously detailed to draw the eye in and around the image. The lines are tight and controlled, densely packed to create texture and shadow, particularly in the lower third of the frame, where it looks like the artist added small clusters of stippling to create depth. The composition has a dreamlike quality, with a figure floating between two pillars, suspended in time and space. Looking at this piece reminds me a little of the visionary worlds of Paul Klee. Both artists share a fascination with the power of the line and the creation of alternate realities through detailed, symbolic imagery. What is a clock if not a world of its own?