Shoes and Socks 1973

Avigdor Arikha made this etching, Shoes and Socks, with a real process-based approach. Look at the marks, like the cross-hatching in the lower right that builds up a dark tone, and how that contrasts to the bare paper around the edges. The physicality of the medium is really present. You can imagine the artist pressing the plate and paper through the press. The image is built from so many tiny lines, so intimate, yet together they describe these socks and shoes in such a monumental way! These socks are like great monoliths, each mark carefully considered. Arikha's work reminds me of Alberto Giacometti's drawings because both artists use line to explore the nature of seeing and representing the world. Art isn't about answers; it's about keeping the conversation going.