Curfew by Jules Engel

1960

Curfew

Listen to curator's interpretation

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Curatorial notes

Jules Engel made this print, titled Curfew, with ink, and you can feel the speed of his hand. It's like he was trying to capture a moment that was slipping away. The heavy, dark mass at the top is so dense, almost like a storm cloud, and then these frantic lines shooting out from it. See how some are thick and juicy, and others just wisps? To me it feels like a build up of energy and a sudden release. I'm reminded of Franz Kline here, but Engel brings his own sense of urgency to the gesture, a kind of nervous energy. Ultimately, this print is about process, about the act of making a mark and seeing where it leads you.