Untitled (Abstraction) 1948

This is a print made by George Stillman, and although untitled, it's definitely an abstraction. You know, when I look at this, I imagine Stillman wrestling with the plate, pushing and pulling to find a form. It's all in greyscale, a mass of tangled lines, marks like scratches, and it kind of reminds me of a cityscape, or maybe even a forest turned inside out. I love the way the lines create depth, even though it's all on a flat plane. There's this sense of something emerging, of a hidden structure trying to come into focus. Like a thought that's just on the tip of your tongue, almost graspable but not quite there. You know, making a print is like having a conversation, and I wonder who Stillman was talking to when he made this. Maybe another artist? Or maybe just himself.