Trávy-strepy (Grass-Shards) 1995

Alena Laufrová made this print, Trávy-strepy, or Grass-Shards, and it's like a field of sharp sensations. I can imagine Laufrová, inking the plate, wiping it back, pressing paper to it, pulling the print, and making a mirror of her own mark. What do you think she was thinking? The textures she achieves are so rich. You feel that the image has come into being, shifting and emerging through her process, almost by accident. The sharp triangular marks, like blades of grass, are so physical, cutting up the surface of the print. It's almost violent. I am reminded of other printmakers and painters who use a limited palette, or repeated marks to create an overall pattern that is both calming and agitated. The moon or sun-like orb at the top is a nice contrast, though, and the image as a whole suggests how artists engage in ongoing conversations, inspiring each other’s creativity through embodied expression.