Boomkruin c. 1944 - 1990

Kees Stoop made this etching, called 'Boomkruin', which means treetop, using an etching technique, sometime during his lifetime. The whole image is made up of these tiny dots and dashes, a real labour of love. Up close, you can almost feel the burr of the needle scratching into the plate. Look at the way Stoop varies the density of marks to create depth and volume. See how some areas are darker, more concentrated, while others are lighter, almost fading into the white of the page? That one strong branch reaching out into the sky feels like a big, confident brushstroke but it’s actually made up of hundreds of tiny, careful marks. It reminds me a little of the work of Stanley William Hayter and Atelier 17, where artists experimented with the physical possibilities of the printmaking process. There is a conversation happening between artists across time, each adding their own voice and vision.