Around the Ring c. 1935 - 1943

Frank Kayden Ominsky made this etching called 'Around the Ring' sometime in the 20th century. Can you imagine him bent over the plate, carefully scratching lines into the metal, building up this scene bit by bit? It's so atmospheric; this smoky, grimy boxing ring, full of anticipation and nerves. I can almost smell the sweat. Look at the way Ominsky uses the dark tones to create a sense of depth and drama. The fighters are these hulking masses, but they’re also vulnerable, trapped in this small space, circled by onlookers, and I wonder, was Ominsky thinking about the spectacle of violence, or the intense, personal struggle of these athletes? I love how the etching lines create a sense of movement and energy. It reminds me of some of the Ashcan School painters, who were also interested in capturing the grit and reality of urban life. What I find so striking about art is this thread of connection, this ongoing conversation between artists across time and place. They were all grappling with ways of seeing and translating what they saw into a language of marks and gestures, and you know, making their own kind of poetry.