Saguaro Cacti c. 20th century

This is "Saguaro Cacti" by Edward Borein, we're not sure exactly when it was made. Borein was working with etching, a printmaking process of scratching into a metal plate, wiping ink into the scratches, and pressing the plate to paper. It's a means of making multiples but each print has a kind of hand made feel. The lines in this image feel so particular, so specific to this landscape, it's interesting to consider how they are created, so mechanically, through the process of etching. Look at the tiny lines, the little dots that create shadows on the cacti, and the long strokes that suggest the desert floor. It's like the artist is thinking through line alone, a real focus on the materiality of the medium. Borein's landscapes remind me a little of Agnes Martin, who was of course working in a very different medium. Both artists share this commitment to using simple marks to capture something sublime. It is a reminder that art is an ongoing conversation, constantly evolving and surprising us.