The Scratch Shot

Grant Tyson Reynard's "The Scratch Shot" is a reminder that artmaking, like a game of pool, is a process. Reynard coaxes subtle gradations out of the starkest blacks and whites. Look closely, and you’ll see how the shadows under the pool table aren't just flat blacks, but a tapestry of tiny, etched lines. It’s almost like he’s mapping out the hidden geographies of the game, the unseen forces at play. The textures and tones are a map of his actions and decisions. The surface of the print has a tactile quality; you can almost feel the burr of the etched lines under your fingertips. I am thinking about Whistler. Whistler was an artist interested in process and the material as much as the subject. I think they would have had a lot to talk about. Ultimately, “The Scratch Shot”, like any good artwork, is less about the subject and more about the conversation it starts—between the artist, the viewer, and the endless possibilities of the medium.