Tamales at the Alamo 1928

Bernhardt Wall made this etching, Tamales at the Alamo, and it's all about line, isn't it? It reminds me that art-making is always a process of translation. The crisp hatching that describes the sky, or the crumbly surface of the Alamo itself, isn't trying to trick us. Instead, it builds an image from lots of little decisions, tiny marks adding up to something bigger. I love how the artist lets us see the worn facade of the building, like a face with character etched into it. It’s there in the velvety dark doorway, too, which pulls you in like a secret. It's kind of amazing how just a few lines can give you a sense of a place. Think of Piranesi, all those crazy, architectural fantasies built from etched lines. Or maybe even Cy Twombly's scribbles. It's all connected, this ongoing conversation artists have across time, turning marks into meaning.