The Artist's Hand II 1979

Henry Moore made this etching called 'The Artist's Hand II' using line work to build up the image, a process of artmaking that is all about increments and accumulation. The image shows two hands intertwined, one casting a shadow over the other. Look at the mass of scribbled lines around the hands, they create an atmosphere, almost like a halo of energy. I am drawn to the contrast in textures between the smooth skin of the hand in the light and the scratchy, almost frantic marks describing the shaded hand and the surrounding space. This reminds me of Picasso, especially his use of line to explore form and volume. The hand is what makes art, it guides the materials and translates thought into form. Moore really emphasizes this connection. Ultimately, art is a conversation across time, where artists borrow, respond, and reinvent, and, like hands, build upon each other's work.