Zwaan (vignet) 1987

This is Kees Stoop’s 'Zwaan (vignet)', made in 1987. I imagine it was a labour of love, patiently etched with an etcher’s needle. The stark contrast of black ink on white paper is striking. What I like about this etching is the way the image emerges from a field of dense parallel lines and the stark whiteness of the swan itself. See how the lines create a feeling of depth? The swan seems to float in a dark, watery space. I'm thinking about what it must have been like to carve those tiny lines and shapes into the metal, trusting the image will materialize. I wonder if Stoop knew exactly how it would look from the start. This piece reminds me of other graphic artists like M.C. Escher, who used printmaking to explore impossible spaces and optical illusions. Stoop's work has a similar attention to detail and precision, but with a more playful and lighthearted sensibility. It shows how artists are always talking to each other across time, inspiring each other to see the world in new ways.