Salt Wave 1979

Stanley William Hayter created this print, titled 'Salt Wave,' using engraving and soft ground techniques. The immediate impression is one of fluidity and depth, dominated by concentric circles and curvilinear forms in shades of blue and black. Consider the circle, an ancient symbol of totality, eternity, and cyclical movement, found across cultures from mandalas to Celtic art. Here, it suggests the ceaseless motion of the sea, a rhythm both comforting and formidable. Notice how the wave-like patterns evoke the subconscious pull of the ocean, resonating with the primal human connection to water. We see echoes of Hokusai's 'Great Wave,' but abstracted, internalized. This print is not merely a depiction of water, but an emotional landscape. It taps into our collective memory, engaging a deep, subconscious understanding of nature's power and beauty. The ocean's waves keep resurfacing in art across time, evolving, and taking on new meanings in different historical contexts.