Mountain Slope with Goats 1920

Kirchner made this print, 'Mountain Slope with Goats,' with dark ink. The marks are so energetic they conjure up the act of making itself. I can almost see him moving the tool across the plate, figuring it out as he goes. I feel for Kirchner here; trying to capture a whole landscape, those goats dotted around a hillside... It's hard! Look how he renders the slopes with these dense, scratchy lines, almost like he's building up the land, bit by bit. And those trees – they’re just these frantic, vertical jabs. I can relate to the urgency, the need to get it all down, even if it means sacrificing some polish. Painters and printmakers, we’re all in this conversation together. We build on each other, steal from each other, respond to each other. It’s a messy, beautiful, ongoing process, always open to new interpretations and possibilities.