Afgemeerde schuiten 1889 - 1937

Margaretha Mack made this print of moored barges using an etching technique of some kind. It's all about the touch, you know? The linear marks have this scratchy texture, it's all very physical, like she's digging into the plate, almost fighting with it to get this image out. The marks are so close together, they build this really solid, almost oppressive form, like the boats are heavy, dense, and immobile. I love the way the lines create tone and volume, it's very economical but also kind of relentless. And look how she's described the reflections in the water, these tiny little strokes, it's like she's trying to capture the way light dances on the surface. It reminds me a little of Paula Modersohn-Becker, who was also working around the turn of the century. Her prints have a similar density of mark-making and a concern with the everyday. For me, it’s always a conversation, a dialogue across time.