Handbewegung 1961

Gerhard Hoehme made this print, Handbewegung, sometime in the mid-twentieth century, using etching and aquatint. It is a real nest of marks! The texture is really cool, like a drypoint with all those burrs, or a slightly worn-out printing plate. I love the way the lines sort of float and dance on the surface. There is a freedom in the marks that feels exploratory, like the artist is letting his hand lead the way. Notice how the red and black inks play off each other, creating depth and movement. There’s this one loopy, almost cartoonish line near the top, like a spring or a coil, that stands out against the more chaotic background. This piece reminds me a little of Cy Twombly's more frenetic works. Like Twombly, Hoehme seems interested in the poetics of gesture, how a simple mark can evoke a whole world of feeling. I see how art is always in conversation, echoing and riffing off of what came before. It’s like a big, beautiful, never-ending jam session.