Justice 1964

Sid Hammer made this print, called Justice, in 1964. I’m immediately drawn to the way he coaxes an image out of what feels like a chaotic mass of lines. It’s all process. Looking closely, I see the etched lines create depth and shadow. Some areas are densely worked, almost obscuring the figures, while others are left open, allowing the eye to rest. I keep coming back to the hands, which are so articulately rendered. There is such grace in the way Hammer captures the angles of the wrist and the subtle curve of the fingers. The scene is ambiguous, open-ended. But the tension between these elements makes the print feel alive. Hammer’s approach reminds me a little of Käthe Kollwitz, in the way he fearlessly confronts difficult subjects with such raw emotion. It’s this emotional honesty, this willingness to embrace ambiguity, that makes art so compelling.