At the Dance (Au Bal) 1929

Andre Dunoyer de Segonzac made this etching, of two figures dancing, with sparse but highly suggestive marks. I imagine the artist standing close to his subject, sketching furiously to capture the energy and movement of the dancers. I feel a connection to the artist who probably thought about the relationship between mark-making and the human form and how it can evoke feelings of movement, emotion, and narrative. The man’s stance – almost stork-like, with a slight cigarette- is captured with such simple lines. Look at the woman’s raised arm, the few marks around the skirt give the illusion of whirling. Artists are always in conversation, echoing and responding to the works of their peers. It makes me think of the German Expressionists’ interest in capturing emotional intensity through distorted forms, or Kathe Kollwitz’s bold use of line in her prints. Each artist finds their own way to make marks.