Lambfore 1964

Curator: Well, let’s spend some time with "Lambfore" by Sid Hammer, a print created using etching in 1964. Editor: Hmm, first impression: shadowy dreamscape. Ethereal. Like a memory surfacing through layers of, well, charcoal maybe? Or is it aquatint? There's a figure but…abstracted, swallowed by darkness. Curator: Etching involves using acid to cut into a metal plate, and in "Lambfore" we see the artist playing with contrasts, using densely etched areas to build up the shadowy regions against the bare paper that forms the figure. Editor: That contrast really works. The light seems to glow from within the figure, makes it almost holy somehow, set against a dark forest scene. Though it’s kind of haunting. Curator: The symbolism of light against dark is ancient; rebirth emerging from primordial darkness, hope wrestling with despair, knowledge cutting through ignorance. "Lambfore", though seemingly simple in composition, is packed with layers. And the use of etching enhances the textural effect. You mentioned a dreamlike quality… Editor: Yeah, the swirling lines around the figure give it a sense of motion, like it's dissolving, fading from reality. Makes me wonder what story or myth Hammer might have been trying to capture. Curator: Consider the title. The combination of 'lamb' with 'fore' implies a sacrifice or perhaps a prophecy, casting the figure in a specifically Christian or pre-Christian light, don't you think? Editor: Interesting point about ‘lamb’ evoking sacrifice. Although… the 'fore' part always struck me more as an invitation, a "come forth," an announcement of what's next. Maybe it is the dream of potential, yet to be fully formed, but full of hope? It's open to interpretation, and that’s the brilliance of it! Curator: The emotional ambiguity is a great element of this work, too. There's beauty and serenity there, but also unease. That's quite the pairing for this simple composition and stark, limited use of only two pigments, don’t you think? Editor: Absolutely. “Lambfore,” a shadow in the making... the best way to remember that potential for anything is built into darkness! Curator: Indeed. It reminds me that images are active agents. It’s been good to give voice to that here today.