Insect 1944

Dickson Reeder made this print, titled "Insect," and look at the way he’s built the image with a chiaroscuro of light and shadow. The texture looks almost crusty, like drypoint or maybe even aquatint, and you can feel the pressure he put on the plate. It reminds me that printmaking is as much about physical labor as it is about planning. The body segments of the insect have a light, almost fleshy tone against the darker background, and it makes the image seem to glow from within. And then there are those legs! So spindly and spiky, as if they were drawn with needles. This insect is kind of terrifying and beautiful at the same time. Reeder's printmaking reminds me a bit of Max Ernst, who used techniques like frottage and grattage to create similarly textured, dreamlike images. It’s a process of embrace: chance, accident, and surprise. Ultimately, art is about embracing uncertainty.