Dragon Arum 1984

Jim Dine made this print of a Dragon Arum, and you can see how he's working with etched lines to create this moody botanical image. The making of art is a process, right? Like growing a plant, it takes time, care, and a little bit of magic. Here, the velvety blacks and scratchy greys give this print such depth. Look at the way Dine uses cross-hatching in the background, it’s like a storm brewing around this plant. And then, bam, this bold vertical slash through the center. It's a power move that divides the space and leads your eye right through the heart of the flower. Dine wasn't afraid to mix it up. Think about how Philip Guston took the familiar language of Abstract Expressionism and made it his own. Dine’s print reminds me of the conversation artists have across time, borrowing, responding, and always pushing things further. Ultimately, art is open to interpretation, it's about what it stirs in you.