Weather Signals 1938

Hananiah Harari made this print, `Weather Signals,’ using etching, but when? No date. The image, like the weather, is a little obscure. Look at the way he's used lines to suggest form, almost like a diagram, but one that doesn't quite explain itself. There’s a wonderful tension in the physical marks on the plate. The texture is rough, a little gritty, giving the image a tactile quality. You can see where the acid has bitten into the metal, leaving these tiny, irregular lines. Notice the way the vertical lines within the shapes seem to both define them and let them dissolve into the background. It reminds me of the work of Agnes Martin – that same interest in simple forms and subtle variations. Harari’s work, like Martin’s, encourages us to slow down and really look, to find beauty in the unexpected. It feels like an invitation to embrace the unknown.