Untitled (Cubist Still-Life) 1947

Howard Fussiner made this untitled cubist still-life print, with all its intricate cross-hatching, probably sometime in the mid-20th century. Imagine Fussiner, bent over the metal plate, etching with painstaking precision. Look at how he builds up these complex geometric forms, maybe a vase, some fruit, and foliage. The light and shadow create these fractured planes. I wonder if he had a real still life set up in front of him, or if he was working from memory, piecing together fragments of observation and imagination? The repetition of lines makes me think of the futurist, Umberto Boccioni, but Fussiner’s version feels quieter, more intimate. I can almost hear the scratching of the needle on the plate, a quiet, meditative act. Artists are always talking to one another, across time, through their work. It is like a beautiful, ongoing game of telephone.