Untitled 2017

This unnamed work by EtchingRoom1 uses ink on paper to render the facade of a block-like building. The artist's marks are meticulously applied, yet retain a human touch, hinting at the labor and care involved in the printing process. The palette is reduced to shades of grey that create a repetitive checkerboard pattern, emphasizing the building’s rigid structure while creating a strangely compelling visual rhythm. Look at the minute details, how each window and balcony is unique, slightly off-kilter, suggesting the quirks of human habitation within this geometric framework. The layering of ink gives depth and texture, making the flat surface come alive with subtle nuances. Notice how the artist has allowed some smudging here and there. This piece resonates with Bernd and Hilla Becher's photographs of industrial architecture, sharing their fascination with the formal qualities of functional structures and the beauty found in repetition and variation. This artwork invites us to see beauty in the mundane, revealing the artistry inherent in the act of observation and representation.