Untitled (Small Holes) 1988

Al Taylor made this print, Untitled (Small Holes), using etching and aquatint. I love how the image feels both constructed and accidental. Taylor’s etched lines form web-like configurations, like tangled threads suspended in space. But then the regular pattern of white holes pulls you back to the surface. It's almost as if the artist was thinking, "How can I create depth and flatness at the same time?" I imagine Al Taylor hunched over a metal plate, carefully layering acid washes to create those shadowy tones. Maybe he was listening to jazz, letting the music guide his hand. There’s something so intimate about the scale, the way it invites close looking. Like a secret world you can get lost in. Taylor’s prints always remind me that art-making is a conversation across time, where each artist responds to and builds upon what came before.