Mujer 1973

Hector Saunier made this etching, Mujer, in 1973 and its web of lines and patterns feel almost architectural. The artist patiently coaxes this image of a woman out of an abstract arrangement of marks. This isn't painting, but there's a real physicality to the lines, which seem to push and pull against each other. It's almost like he's weaving the figure into existence, with each line adding depth and dimension. Look at the bottom right, and notice how the lines there become denser, almost like a dark thicket. That concentration of marks helps to frame the lighter, more open space where the woman emerges. It makes me think of the cubists like Picasso, who broke down form and space. Saunier also seems to be playing with perception, making us work to piece together what we see. This piece feels to me like an ongoing conversation about how we see, and the many ways we can represent the world around us.