Seiners 1917

Philip Little made "Seiners", this small etching, sometime in the late 19th or early 20th century. Look at how the hatching marks build up density and tone; it's almost architectural in its construction. The whole scene feels carefully crafted, not just represented. The materiality of the print is key here. The ink sits slightly raised on the paper, giving a tactile quality to the scene. The reflections in the water are particularly captivating. See how the vertical marks dissolve into horizontal smudges, blurring the line between the real and the reflected. It’s like Little is showing us how vision itself is a process of interpretation, of making sense of blurry inputs. The mark-making reminds me of Whistler's etchings, with that same sense of moody atmosphere. But Little's got his own thing going on. He is interested in process, and reminds me a little of my own drawing practice. Anyway, its nice to see artists from different eras speaking to each other through their work.