Venetian Filigree (Ca’ d'Oro Venetia) 1931

John Taylor Arms created this print, Venetian Filigree, and just look at the detail! I imagine him etching away at the plate, line after line, building up this incredible image of the Ca’ d'Oro in Venice. You know, it's funny, as a painter I’m so used to adding, but here, he's subtracting, carving away to reveal the image. I bet he had to be so careful, like a surgeon almost. I can almost feel the scratch of the needle on the plate. Imagine the patience it must have taken. I'm impatient, so I am always in awe of art that takes a lot of time. And the reflections in the water! So precise, yet with a sense of movement and fluidity. John Taylor Arms is engaging in a conversation across time with the architects and builders of the Ca’ d'Oro, and with all the artists who have been inspired by this incredible building. It's a reminder that art is an ongoing dialogue, where each new work builds upon what came before.