"La Trinité," Vendôme 1952

John Taylor Arms created "La Trinité, Vendôme" with a metal plate, pressing ink onto paper in the inky dark of his studio, layering lines upon lines. Imagine him there, squinting under the light, trying to capture the immensity and the intricate stone tracery. It’s a dance between control and chaos, this image. The cathedral is formed by such precise lines, almost obsessive in their detail. But then the darkness gathers, swallowing the edges and the details, and the building begins to fade back into the night. I think about him trying to chase the light, knowing it will always be fleeting. The shadows are just as important as the structure, maybe more so, giving the image its depth and mystery. He is talking to the old masters, to Piranesi, to Whistler, to the whole history of printmaking, but he's also talking to us, about time, about memory, and about the fragile beauty of things.