Tretire I 1975

Editor: Here we have Frank Auerbach's "Tretire I," an etching. The marks are so bold and dark, almost violently scratched into the plate. What can you tell us about Auerbach's process here? Curator: Consider the materiality of this print. The deep blacks suggest a heavy, perhaps even crude, application of acid on the plate. This wasn’t about delicacy, but about the labor involved in forcing the image into existence. How does that affect your interpretation? Editor: It feels very raw, less about refined aesthetics and more about the physical act of creation. Almost like an industrial process? Curator: Precisely. It challenges traditional notions of the artist as solely a creator of beautiful objects and highlights the means of production, the labor, the grit involved. Editor: That's a very different way to look at it, focusing on the "how" as much as the "what". Thank you! Curator: My pleasure. There’s always more to discover when we consider process.