The Acrobat Rider 1959

Marc Chagall made this lithograph, 'The Acrobat Rider', with ink and paper. Look at the mark making; there are fine feathery lines alongside smudged, chunky marks, a real mix of energies, like he’s using every bit of the printing process. There is a strange sort of intimacy in the way the figures are drawn. Look at the circus performer with a flute, all scratched and smudged – like he's been pulled from a dream. It feels like Chagall is sharing his thought process, or even the physical process of creation, directly with us. And the colors, or lack of them, add to this feeling. The stark black and white intensifies the dreamlike quality, allowing the forms to emerge and recede like memories. 'The Acrobat Rider' reminds me of Picasso, both artists playing with fragmented forms and unconventional perspectives. Ultimately, the conversation between artists across time is an ongoing reminder of the boundless possibilities of art.