Harderwijk II 1947

Jo Bezaan made this print, Harderwijk II, with etching. The whole scene kind of shimmers, doesn’t it? I notice it in the sky, there’s this real sense of atmosphere. It’s created with so many tiny marks, it really speaks to me of artmaking as a process, a gradual layering, like building something out of almost nothing. If you look closely, the marks are so small, they are almost like a whisper. In the lighter areas, he’s lifted the tool to create space and light. But in the foreground, he’s really dug in, it’s much denser, darker. This contrast gives the whole piece this amazing depth, a kind of gritty beauty. The details are minimal, but everything feels so considered, intentional. You can see he’s using the black ink to create a feeling, not just a picture. It reminds me a little of Piranesi, who was another master printmaker who could create this eerie sense of place. Art really is just one long conversation, isn't it? What is real, what is imagined, what is felt?