Kanger and Geseking 1926

This is an etching by Kenneth Callahan, made with ink on paper. What strikes me here is the layering of marks, the way the blacks and whites push against each other, creating a really dynamic, almost chaotic surface. It's like Callahan wasn't trying to hide the process at all. You can almost feel the scratch of the needle on the plate, the way he built up the shadows, the way the ink pools in certain areas. Take a look at the bottom right corner, you can see that he scratched diagonal marks that are overlaid with small vertical lines to create a really compelling and busy section of the image. The whole scene feels very modern and industrial, like he's capturing the raw energy of the machine. There's a restlessness, a sense of constant activity. It reminds me a bit of some of the German Expressionists, like Kirchner, who were also trying to capture the energy and chaos of modern life through their art. It's not about pretty pictures, it's about feeling the pulse of the world around you.