Goldfish 1931

Grace Albee made this wonderful print, Goldfish, using wood engraving techniques. Looking at this, you can really see how the act of artmaking is a process of building up layers of meaning, one mark at a time. The strong contrast between black and white in the print really emphasizes the textures – like the scales of the fish. You can almost feel the slickness of the water and the quiet sway of the plants! What really grabs me is the way the light filters through the water, rendered as thin white lines. There's something meditative about it. It's as if Albee is inviting us to pause and get lost in the underwater world. Albee’s work reminds me of Kathe Kollwitz, who similarly used printmaking to explore her relationship to the natural world. Art is such an ongoing conversation, where each artist adds their voice, embracing ambiguity and personal interpretation.