Sakonnet Light 1953

Grace Albee created this wood engraving called Sakonnet Light, and what strikes me is her mark-making. It’s not just about depicting a scene; it’s about the process, the way she coaxes this landscape into being through the patient carving of wood. Look closely and you can see the physicality of the medium. The blacks are so solid, and the whites so sharp, it's almost like she's sculpting with light and shadow. The way the grass is rendered, each blade a distinct line, that feels like she's right there feeling the breeze. And those clouds? They're not just clouds; they’re a whole mood, a sense of the weight of the sky. There's a stillness, a quiet observation that reminds me of Agnes Martin. Both had this ability to find the sublime in the everyday, in the simple act of looking and making.