Veronica 1948

Ana Rosa de Ycaza made this black and white print called Veronica using a process of etching, where the image is bitten into a metal plate with acid. You can see how the stark contrast gives it a bold, graphic quality. The thing that gets me about this print is the dance between what's there and what's not. It’s like she's carving out shapes from a void, letting the negative space define the forms. Look at the bottom, where these jagged peaks emerge from the white. They feel both solid and ephemeral, like mountains in a dream. I’m reminded of Franz Kline’s abstract expressionist paintings, in the way Ycaza uses black and white to create dynamic compositions. But where Kline is all about gesture and energy, there's a stillness to this print, a quiet contemplation of form and space. Ultimately, it’s a reminder that art isn't about answers, it’s about the questions we ask along the way.