Untitled (Standing Figures) 1945

Ezio Martinelli made this untitled etching of standing figures sometime in the mid-20th century. The approach to mark-making here is all about process; you can feel the artist working and reworking the plate, letting the lines build up and accumulate. The figures themselves are almost ghostlike, emerging from a web of tangled lines. Look at the textures Martinelli creates – some areas are densely packed with tiny marks, others are left open and airy. There's a real physicality to the medium; you can almost feel the scratch of the needle on the metal. Notice the way the lines create a sense of depth and movement. It reminds me of the work of the surrealist artist, André Masson, who also used automatic drawing techniques to tap into the unconscious. Ultimately, this piece isn't about fixed meanings; it's about the ongoing conversation between the artist, the medium, and the viewer.