Hatchery 1962

Jerome Kaplan made this print, Hatchery, using a dark, almost gothic approach. The marks in this piece aren't just descriptive; they feel like a record of touch, a physical engagement with the plate, which gives the piece an intimate, handmade quality. The texture here is really something, isn't it? The velvety blacks and the ghostly grays create a push-pull effect. It's thick with atmosphere, like a dense fog rolling in. Look closely at how Kaplan uses these vertical lines that suggest a building or structure but also feel like they could be dissolving right before our eyes. Those marks, they’re not just lines, they’re decisions, moments of uncertainty and resolution all rolled into one. I think Hatchery reminds me a little of Piranesi’s etchings, in the way it suggests monumental architecture but with a similar sense of ruin, decay, and the passage of time. It's a reminder that art doesn't have to be about answers; it's often more interesting when it raises questions.