Cacti 1932

Grace Albee made this small print of cacti using wood engraving. It's so precise, I imagine her carefully carving out the image, line by line. I wonder what Albee thought about while she was making this print. Her cactus almost seems to be breathing. I'm looking at the texture, which she's achieved through such fine lines. I mean, look at those tiny needles! She's even captured the prickly quality of the cactus through line alone. The plant sits in a wicker basket. Albee has depicted the woven pattern in great detail. You can almost feel the texture! Albee's dedication to the wood engraving printmaking method reminds me of other artists who dedicated their practice to a specific medium. It's like they're constantly asking, what more can this medium reveal? In embracing the possibilities, artists push the boundaries of what art can be.