Whirlwinds, Dead Mountains, Mojave Desert, California c. 1921

George Elbert Burr made this etching of Whirlwinds, Dead Mountains, Mojave Desert, California, without a date. The marks in this print aren’t about heavy lines or big gestures. Instead, it’s a myriad of tiny marks, a kind of pointillism with tone rather than colour, that build up to make this vast scene. It’s all about process, a devotion to mark-making that I really appreciate. The desert stretches out, sparely populated with scrub and stones, all rendered with such care. But it's the way Burr captures the light and atmosphere that really grabs me, especially how he delineates the whirlwinds. Look closely, and you’ll see the sky is full of almost imperceptible marks, moving in the same direction as the whirlwinds. This simple visual trick lends a sense of movement and energy to the whole scene. It reminds me a little of Whistler’s etchings, the way he creates a mood with so few elements. Like Whistler, Burr embraces a kind of ambiguity, suggesting rather than stating, leaving space for our imaginations to fill in the gaps.