Basket Method c. 1940s

Merritt Mauzey’s print, "Basket Method," uses simple lines to depict a complex scene. It’s all about process, watching how the marks come together, bit by bit, to show us something profound. Look closely at the cotton plants, those fuzzy white bulbs created with delicate, almost hesitant strokes. The texture here is everything. You can almost feel the softness of the cotton, but also the scratchiness of the plants. The ink isn’t trying to hide; it’s right there on the surface, making itself known. Notice the woman on the left, she carries a small bucket and her basket is overflowing, how does that relate to the way you think about artmaking? What can be taken or left behind? When is it ever really full? This kind of work reminds me a bit of Elizabeth Catlett's prints, where the ordinary becomes extraordinary through careful attention and honest representation. There's no right or wrong way to see it, just different paths to follow.