Fisherman 1947

Glen Alps created this lithograph, titled "Fisherman," using gray ink on cream wove paper. Notice how the figures are rendered with an emphasis on geometric shapes and simplified forms. Alps uses hatching and cross-hatching to build up tone, creating a play of light and shadow that gives volume to the figures. The composition is tightly arranged, with the fishermen clustered together, their bodies forming a semi-circle around a central bucket. Alps’ approach to form here flattens the picture plane, reducing depth in favor of surface pattern and geometric relationships. This recalls Cubist principles where objects are fragmented and reassembled, challenging traditional perspective. The fisherman are archetypes, their individuality subsumed by their collective role. The lithograph's formal qualities are not merely aesthetic choices but reflect a larger exploration into the nature of representation, questioning how we perceive and construct meaning through visual forms.