Vissengraten c. 1944 - 1990

Kees Stoop made this etching, Vissengraten, and it's all about lines, isn't it? It's like he's thinking through the process, each stroke building up the image, not hiding the work but celebrating it. The texture is fascinating – the way the ink catches on the paper, giving it a rough feel, like you could almost touch the fish bones. And the contrast between the dark lines and the white paper, creates this eerie, ghostly feel. Look at the head of the fish; each line carefully placed to create depth and form. It’s not just a fish; it’s a study in form, life, and decay. It reminds me of Piranesi's etchings of ancient ruins, this kind of obsessive mark-making. Art isn’t about answers; it's about the questions we ask and the conversations we have along the way.