Narrow-Leaved Kalmia 1984

Jim Dine made this etching, Narrow-leaved Kalmia, with ink on a plate. The image emerges from a flurry of marks. Look closely, and you'll see how the scratches create a kind of shimmering effect, like light through leaves. There's something raw and immediate about the lines, a sense of the artist working directly on the plate, kind of like automatic writing. The textures here are crucial. Dine uses the etching technique to create a velvety darkness, but also delicate, light areas. Notice the upper section, how the leaves are suggested through a haze of lines. This is not your typical botanical illustration; Dine is not so interested in objective likeness but in the emotional possibilities of line and tone. The Kalmia feels alive, caught in a moment of growth and change. I'm reminded of Cy Twombly’s romantic approach to mark making. Both artists embrace the messy, the awkward, and the unresolved. Art isn't about answers, it's about the questions we ask.