Bez názvu (Untitled) 1990

This untitled print was made by Vladimír Kokolia, and is an etching done in shades of red. You can see the bite of the acid in the plate. I love the artist’s mark-making and energy, and the way the figures jostle for space in the foreground. I can imagine Kokolia being totally absorbed in the process, pushing the plate further and further. The layering of the lines creates a sense of depth and movement, as if the figures are emerging from some primordial soup. Looking at the contorted bodies, I'm reminded of Goya's darker etchings, and maybe something of Francis Bacon's visceral forms too. It’s like artists are in an ongoing conversation across time.