Torch Singer c. 1940

Carl Pickhardt made this print called 'Torch Singer', but we don’t know when, and he’s working in lithography – which is a kind of printmaking that uses a flat stone or metal plate. I like the way Pickhardt suggests form and shadow using just black and white. Look closely, and you'll notice the grainy texture, achieved through the lithographic process. It’s almost like a dance of tiny dots, creating depth and mood. The most striking aspect is the way the stark blacks and whites evoke this melancholic feeling, which, to me, encapsulates the loneliness and drama of the singer’s performance. The conductor, looming over her, seems almost vampiric. I’m thinking of artists like Kathe Kollwitz, who also used printmaking to evoke a kind of emotional intensity. Artmaking is a conversation, isn’t it? We’re constantly building upon and responding to what came before, embracing ambiguity and multiple meanings along the way.