Little Height Machine 1920

Johannes Molzahn created this etching, "Little Height Machine," using delicate lines to build up dense areas of dark and light. It's like he’s thinking through drawing. You can see how the linear process becomes a kind of architecture. The material aspect is all about the etched line. Look how the cross-hatching creates texture, almost like fabric, and how some areas appear darker and denser than others, based purely on the build up of line. There’s this spiral form in the center, and the way Molzahn uses the line to give it weight is really compelling. It feels both heavy and like it could unwind at any second. Molzahn’s interest in machine aesthetics reminds me of Picabia, who, like Molzahn, embraced the imagery of the machine as a way to explore the formal and conceptual possibilities of art, always playing with meaning. Art isn't about fixed ideas, but about keeping the conversation going.