Untitled (Abstraction) 20th century

This etching by C. Coleman is a tightly woven composition of shapes and lines in dark ink. I see the artist as a kind of architect, drafting a new kind of space, one that’s fractured and dynamic. The physicality of the etching process is evident in the crispness of the lines and the velvety blacks, which gives the artwork a tactile quality. I am drawn to the way the lines intersect and overlap, creating a sense of depth and movement. There's a particular cluster of lines near the center that seems to pulse with energy, like a nucleus of pure abstraction. Coleman’s abstraction reminds me a little of the Italian futurist Umberto Boccioni, who tried to represent movement and speed in painting and sculpture. But there's also something uniquely personal about Coleman’s vision. It's a conversation, a back-and-forth between intention and accident, control and chance.