Insect 1944

Dickson Reeder made this intaglio print, "Insect", at an unknown date. There's something ancient, almost fossil-like, about this insect rendered in shades of gray. You can see the ghost of the creature emerge from a dark, inky ground, a kind of primordial ooze. I imagine Reeder hunched over the plate, maybe using acid to bite into the metal, gradually coaxing this strange form into being. Look at those wings. They almost look like petals, don't they? See how they push against the edges of the frame, itching to break free and take flight. And those legs, so spindly and delicate, frozen in a kind of perpetual motion. This insect has a surreal quality, like something from a dream or a half-remembered fairytale. It's like Reeder is showing us that even the smallest creature contains a universe of mystery and wonder. The Surrealists were interested in insects and so was the artist Ree Morton. I wonder if Reeder knew their work? Artists are always in dialogue, across time and space, inspiring each other to see the world anew.