Handbewegung 1961

Gerhard Hoehme's "Handbewegung," which translates to "Hand Movement", is an etching made in 1967 that embodies the energy of the hand in motion. The colour palette is restrained, a mix of earthy reds, browns, and blacks, giving it a kind of grounded urgency. Looking at this, I imagine Hoehme hunched over the plate, scratching and digging into the surface with acid, each line a testament to his physical engagement. What was he thinking as he made each mark? Was it a dance? A fight? Or a meditation? The texture is key here – the way the ink sits on the paper, sometimes thick, sometimes barely there, creates a palpable sense of depth. There is a particular looping gesture on the right that feels like a question mark. Hoehme's work always felt connected to the action painting of the New York School, but with a distinctly European sensibility. It’s like he’s in conversation with de Kooning, asking, "How can we push this further?" Artists like Hoehme remind us that painting is an ongoing dialogue, an exchange of ideas across time and space. We’re all just trying to figure things out, one gesture at a time.