Head II 1998

Editor: Here we have Per Inge Bjørlo’s “Head II.” The etching is striking, all these chaotic lines, and yet there's a definite form. What can you tell me about how it was made? Curator: Consider the labor involved in etching. The artist manipulates metal, a traditionally industrial material, through repetitive actions. Each line is a physical mark, etched through resistance. Does this repetitive action evoke a sense of… toil? Editor: It makes me wonder about the artist's process. Was it cathartic, obsessive, or both? How does the materiality of the etching shape its expressive power?