The Warped Beam c. 1935 - 1943

Edward Hagedorn made this etching, with its dry, scratchy marks, sometime in the 20th century. Imagine him bent over the plate, pushing and pulling the burin through the metal. I'm really interested in the forms here – these funny, architectural shapes in some kind of landscape. There are strong vertical lines and then this curved form that crosses them. It looks like a bridge or a doorway. I like how the lines are grouped and how the areas of tone and texture create a sense of depth and atmosphere. It makes me think about Piranesi and the way he used etching to create these incredible, imaginative spaces. I wonder if Hagedorn was looking at him? Or maybe he was just thinking about the structures we build and how they relate to the world around us. Whatever it was, it's a cool print.