II. Evocation of the Ancestors 1943

Helen King Boyer made this print called "II. Evocation of the Ancestors." It's so cool to think about how this image came into being, layer after layer of lines, a dance between intention and accident. I can imagine Boyer hunched over a plate, carefully etching lines to bring forth this gathering around a fire. It's nighttime, and she's building atmosphere using hatching and cross-hatching. There's a feeling of ritual, right? The scene is dense with figures, each rendered with such care, but the texture created by the etching needle feels almost chaotic. Look at the flames licking the night sky, rendered with a combination of short strokes and open space. It feels intuitive. Boyer’s print reminds me of other artists who explore ritual and mythology. There is a deep conversation happening across time. Each artist speaks through their materials, leaving space for the unexpected. "II. Evocation of the Ancestors" embraces that ambiguity, inviting us to interpret and feel along with her.