Deep Sea, II 1952

Herman Cherry’s "Deep Sea, II," is an etching full of aquatic creatures. Notice the squid with its large eye and sprawling tentacles dominating the composition, a symbol laden with primal fears and fascination. The squid’s presence evokes not only the mysteries of the deep but also its dangers. Consider the ancient Kraken, a legendary sea monster of immense power, capable of dragging ships to watery graves. Like the Kraken, Cherry's squid is not merely a creature but a manifestation of nature's untamed, chaotic forces. This resonates with the gorgon Medusa. Just as Medusa’s gaze turned men to stone, the squid embodies a paralyzing dread. And yet, here, the squid rises again, resurrected from our collective subconscious. In Cherry's hands, it is a reminder of the cyclical nature of symbols. What surfaces here is the eternal dance between fear and fascination, destruction and creation.