Where? 1940

George Albert Harris made this print, Where?, using etching, creating a world of contrasts in black and white. Look closely at the marks; they build up this strange, almost dreamlike space. It’s all process here; the making is right there on the surface. There’s such a physicality to the etching, you can see the lines where the tool bit into the metal, creating this incredible texture. See how the different areas have different patterns? Some are smooth, some look like wood grain, others are stippled. It's almost sculptural, like he’s building a world out of marks. I’m drawn to the head, which has a face drawn onto it, as if this geometric body is a vessel containing a more human form. It’s as if he is not quite ‘there’, but stuck between worlds. This reminds me a little of Phillip Guston, though much more formal and constrained. There’s something about the abstraction of the body and a sense of a hidden narrative that resonates. Art is always about these echoes and conversations, isn’t it? Harris invites us to create meaning from the ambiguity, encouraging us to question Where? we are, and maybe even Who? we are.