Pastorale 1955

Doel Reed made this print, Pastorale, using black ink on paper. Looking at it, I imagine the artist carefully layering the tones to build up this intense chiaroscuro. The artist's hand feels present in the gradations of light and shadow. I see the light falling across the main figure, a woman, and the way it defines her form with such starkness. You can almost feel the coolness of the light in contrast to the surrounding darkness, the drapery around the women making them appear as if they are caught in a fleeting moment. Maybe he was thinking about theatrical scenes when he made it? The surface is smooth, but the image has depth and texture, created by the density of the ink. There's a push and pull, a kind of dance between light and dark that I always find interesting. Like how different moods make you see things in different ways. It reminds me of other printmakers, like Whistler, who experimented with atmosphere and mood. We are all just trying to translate a feeling into a visual thing.