Untitled (Abstraction) 1946

This untitled abstraction was created by Robert C. Osborn, sometime in the 20th century, using lithographic ink on stone. It’s a real dance of light and dark! I love how the forms seem to emerge from a kind of hazy fog. Looking at this, I’m struck by the texture. The artist coaxes a lot from a stone. The granular quality of the dark areas contrasts with the smooth, almost velvety blacks. See how the stippled textures almost vibrate, like a fuzzy memory? I'm also drawn to the curvy lines which feel like characters in a play. It reminds me a little of Joan Miró, in the way it balances playful abstraction with a sense of underlying structure. The more I look, the more I see! I’m left with the feeling that art is like one long conversation, where each artist is responding to, and riffing off, those who came before.