Powis 1972

Leonard Lehrer created “Powis” as an etching in 1972. The limited color palette emphasizes the process of creation rather than pure representation. Look at the almost abstracted bushes and trees rendered in this dark, heavy tone, contrasting sharply with the stark ground and sky. The texture! Oh, you can almost feel the bite of the acid on the plate! Lehrer plays with opacity, especially in the foliage, suggesting depth and volume through layers of dark ink. Notice the upper, more distant landscapes, rendered with a dry scratchy line, against the flat planes of the lower space around the staircase. This juxtaposition creates a disorienting effect, pushing and pulling the space in unexpected ways. “Powis” reminds me a bit of Piranesi's architectural fantasies, where the real and the imagined blur. Like Piranesi, Lehrer invites us to wander in a space that exists somewhere between memory, dream, and reality. Art is just an ongoing conversation, isn't it? Always questioning, always exploring!