Strand te Malmö Zweden 1961

Dirkje Kuik made this etching called 'Strand te Malmö Zweden', or 'Beach at Malmö Sweden', using lines that act like both structure and shading. It's a kind of organized chaos, or maybe chaotic organization. Look at the way Kuik layers and angles lines, almost like she’s building the landscape out of shards of glass. There’s a real sense of depth achieved through hatching and the density of line. The areas on the edges of the image are darker, creating a natural frame. Notice the lines that float above the land; are they scaffolding, or architectural plans? It’s not entirely clear, and I like that. The stark contrast between the dark foreground and the pale sky makes the middle ground almost glow. There's something about the graphic quality of this print that makes me think of other etchers, like Piranesi. Kuik shares a similar interest in creating a sense of atmosphere through line and shadow. What’s so interesting is that, despite the clarity of the line, the image remains ambiguous, open to interpretation, and always a bit surprising.