Lake Michigan Rocks #2 1958

Here's a print by John Battenberg, made with a screenprinting technique, that shows a series of rock-like forms in shades of red, brown, and purple. The overlay of colors creates depth and a sense of movement. It makes me think about the physicality of printmaking, that repetitive gesture of applying layers and layers of ink to build an image. I imagine Battenberg being in his studio, thoughtfully experimenting with each layer, considering how the colors interact and shift with each pass. That deep, brooding red color feels so charged. It's not just a color; it's like a mood, an emotion, a feeling. The surface shows the traces of the printing process, so when you stare at it, you can see the artist building his image layer by layer. Like, I see the history of his thinking, like a palimpsest. Battenberg’s print is also a record of touch, a physical thing made by a person, just like all art. And in that way, it joins a long conversation with artists through time. I feel grateful for the conversation.