Carnival Possibly 1960

Leon Karp made this print, Carnival, during his lifetime, using the graphic techniques of his time. It’s all about the mark-making, this kind of scratching, digging into the surface - you get the sense that Karp wasn't trying to hide the process. The textures feel almost accidental, like he’s embracing the unpredictable nature of printmaking. Look at the face of the figure on the right, how the lines come together to create this intense, haunted expression. It reminds me of some of Picasso's early etchings. Maybe Karp was looking at Picasso, or maybe it’s just that artists are always in conversation with each other, riffing on the same themes, pushing the boundaries of what a print can be. It’s not about having all the answers, it’s about embracing the questions.