Rocks and Tree Roots in a Stream 1949

Robert Angeloch made this print called *Rocks and Tree Roots in a Stream* using monochrome blocks to bring this scene to life. What I love about printmaking is the way it honors the process, the labor, the physicality of making. Look at how he's used the horizontal lines to denote the stream - you can almost hear the water trickling over the rocks. I really enjoy the contrast between these and the more textured areas, like the fractal pattern that fills the space around the tree roots. It's all about the push and pull between these different marks, the solid black shapes and the negative space around them. See how a small change in one area completely transforms your understanding of the rest. It reminds me of the prints of someone like Paul Nash, where the natural world is translated into these graphic shapes that feel both abstract and totally real. For me, it's a reminder that art is all about conversation and exchange, across time and between artists.