Canajoharie, New York 1880

Andrew Fisher Bunner made this etching of Canajoharie, New York, using ink on paper. The technique of etching involves drawing an image into a prepared ground, exposing the metal to acid, and then printing the resulting design. Bunner's choice of etching to depict the mill is significant. The linear quality of the technique captures the rough, textured surfaces of the wooden structure. You can almost feel the worn planks and the coarse stones of the foundation. The deliberate, careful labor that went into creating the mill finds a parallel in the artist’s own work. Both endeavors transform raw materials into something purposeful, through patience and skill. Consider how the image embodies the transition from agrarian society to industrial capitalism. The mill represents a form of pre-industrial production, dependent on local resources and human labor. Bunner's etching invites us to reflect on the relationship between labor, landscape, and the changing nature of American society. It reminds us that art, like craft, is a form of skilled work with its own material and social context.