Barn in the village Aux Posses-Dessous, canton Vaud 1981

Hubertine Heijermans made this print of a barn in Aux Posses-Dessous using a monochromatic palette and a grainy texture. I can almost feel Heijermans scratching away at the plate, building up the image bit by bit. I imagine she was thinking about light, how it defines form and creates depth. The ladder leans casually against the barn, the door and walls are rough. The whole scene feels really quiet, like a forgotten corner. What was she thinking when she made it? Did she have memories of being in a place like this? She’s part of a long conversation among artists. They all play around with ideas and inspire each other. What feels so great about painting and printmaking is that it’s a way to show all those ambiguous feelings and let us respond in our own way.