Plate V (Deska) 1962

Jirí Balcar made this plate in 1962. It is an etching, a way of making an image through a physical, chemical process. I think it is like cooking; you need the right amount of heat and pressure to get the desired result. Look at the tonal range, the blacks and grays. It is as if Balcar is trying to capture a feeling or a mood through the contrasts and subtle gradations of the material. It is this sort of quality that suggests a dialogue with someone like Ad Reinhardt, who was interested in the possibilities of monochrome, the meditative potential of color but without the color. There is a small cluster of spots in the upper part of the central field, almost like stars. They sit amongst the darkness like a constellation of thought. It is that kind of careful placing which keeps me interested in art; it is not just about looking but about thinking too.