The Sniper, No.2 1920

James McBey made this etching, The Sniper, No.2, with lines that create an image out of something that could have just been chaos; it’s a reminder that artmaking is all about finding order in the mess, right? Look at how McBey uses the etching needle to mimic the wild grasses, a furious thicket rendered with such a delicate touch. Those marks aren't just describing what's there, they’re building this world, a place where tension hangs in the air. The sniper’s helmet is barely visible. He’s not separate from the landscape, but totally embedded in it. The scratches and scribbles of the etching process emphasize this sense of concealment. You might look at someone like Käthe Kollwitz, who also used etching to convey something about war, in her case the impact of conflict upon ordinary people. Art isn’t about having all the answers but asking the right questions. This work leaves you pondering the human condition and the ambiguities of war.