Mokihana - Hawaii 

Editor: Here we have John Melville Kelly’s print, "Mokihana - Hawaii". The textures achieved in the drawing style are just incredible! I am intrigued by how Kelly uses hatching to model the figure and create such a delicate impression. How do you see the formal qualities contributing to the artwork’s overall effect? Curator: The success of this work rests in its intricate linework. Note the strategic variation in the density and direction of the hatching. Observe the dark mass of hair, achieved through layering and cross-hatching, providing a strong counterpoint to the delicate shading of her skin. The velvety blacks establish the tonality for a face presented in profile, allowing Kelly to describe form using minimal detail. It avoids superfluous or illustrative qualities, creating space for deeper contemplation. Editor: I see what you mean about the relationship between the dark and light, it's especially striking. I am wondering about the lines. They give a real sense of volume, especially around her arm, but elsewhere they feel very…fragmented. Almost unfinished? Curator: Indeed. This use of fragmented line contributes to the overall effect. Consider it a deliberate choice to avoid a photographic realism. This emphasizes the hand of the artist and foregrounds the constructed nature of the image itself. The artist is calling attention to mark-making itself and, by extension, artifice. The lack of blended line gives dynamism. How does it make you feel? Editor: It makes it feel very immediate, I think. Like it was just drawn and captured. Thank you, it is helpful to focus on that visual relationship of fragmented form. Curator: My pleasure. Through careful formal consideration we have decoded meaning residing beyond pure representation.