Butts 1931

Irwin Hoffman’s 1931 etching “Butts” captures two figures huddled together in a gritty, almost claustrophobic space. It's all about the cross-hatching, like he's scribbling with acid, digging into the plate. I can almost hear the scratch of the needle across the copper. The figures are deeply shadowed, caught in a moment of shared intimacy or maybe just a quick transaction, lighting each other’s cigarettes. Hoffman is really playing with light and shadow here, pulling us into the smoky atmosphere. He probably spent hours coaxing out the textures, building up the darks, and letting the light flicker across the surface. This piece reminds me of other social realist artists of the time, like the German Expressionists. They were also interested in capturing everyday life, the grit and the glamour. Artists are always looking at each other, borrowing, stealing, and transforming. It's an ongoing conversation, this whole art thing. We all pass the flame to one another.