Uncle Aaron c. 1932

Bernard Sanders made this etching of ‘Uncle Aaron’ at some point in the mid twentieth century. Look at the cross hatching that creates the volume of Aaron’s hat, his beard and his suit. It’s so meticulous! And yet the artist seems to be feeling his way into the image, almost as if he is drawing in the dark. In a way it reminds me of the linear precision of someone like Durer, but without the same sense of technical accomplishment. Sanders lets the image emerge slowly. See how the etched lines build up layers of light and shadow. The starkness of the black ink on the white paper gives the image a striking graphic quality. There’s something endearing about the awkwardness of the figure, the slightly wonky eyes and the way the beard almost overpowers the face. I’m reminded of other self taught artists like Bill Traylor, who created something so distinctive from limited means. It’s like listening to someone speaking in their own voice, without affectation. We don’t know when this was made, and that feels right to me. The image remains open, alive with potential.