Rain and the Sea 1946

Karl Schrag created "Rain and the Sea" using etching, and what strikes me are the marks, the slanting lines, the greys, the energy of the rain itself. I imagine Schrag in the studio, or maybe even outside, quickly scratching these lines into the plate, trying to capture the feeling of a storm as it moves across the water. I sympathize with his struggle – how do you make something so ephemeral into a solid image? The vertical lines of rain are so immediate, but also, look at the swirling marks at the bottom, suggesting the churn of the waves. It reminds me of other artists who grapple with nature's power, like Turner, but with a more intimate, graphic touch. There’s a real conversation happening between artists across time, each trying to pin down something as elusive as the weather. The beautiful thing is that even with all these marks and gestures, there’s still room for us to bring our own feelings and experiences to the work.