El abajorro 1945

Curator: Here we have "El abajorro," a 1945 etching by Esteban Frances. Glimpsing at it feels like peering into an oneiric and unsettling carnival—what do you make of it? Editor: Chaos, initially. But also incredible texture for a print— the sheer number of lines must have taken a staggering amount of time. What a laborious production for such a dark, almost violent image. Curator: Violent indeed! Look how the geometric shapes fight with these floating, human-like figures above... there is this very dense sense of impending doom. Makes you think of the post-war climate, no? The psychic landscapes it unearthed. Editor: Absolutely. But also, it raises questions about accessibility. Etchings, prints... these allowed Frances' vision to circulate more widely than a unique painting. Who was supposed to see this image of despair, and where? What were the material constraints of that circulation? Curator: A melancholic question to ask, but vital! It is intriguing that such an expressive artist chose a medium often linked to reproduction... Perhaps he felt the need for his demons to spread, for others to see them, to share them even? The abstract forms he employs lend to that collective interpretation, in my mind. Editor: I'm also wondering about the particular kind of metal plate Frances used. How did that choice influence the depth and quality of the lines? Did wartime scarcity play a role in material selection? These constraints can paradoxically fuel creativity, pushing artists to innovate. Curator: So true. Restrictions breed ingenuity—but there’s also a feeling here that Frances just went totally wild. No inhibitions, spewing shapes onto the copper as if the world itself was being destroyed. I am obsessed by the black space; it becomes almost like a character of its own, engulfing everything! Editor: And the process of submerging that plate, the acid eating away at the metal… a destructive act in itself mirroring the destruction it portrays. I bet this etching went through many, many states. Curator: It all layers, the technique enhancing that anxiety...well, this one will linger in my mind a while. I might need something a little lighter now. Editor: I agree. The weight of its production and the darkness it expresses certainly require a palate cleanser!