Interiors IV: Hotel Paradise Café 1987

Peter Milton made this etching, Interiors IV: Hotel Paradise Café, which is all about the push and pull between detail and atmosphere. What grabs me first is the process, all that careful cross-hatching, especially on the walls and floors, it's like a meditative act, slowly building up tone and texture. Look at how the light catches the chandeliers, each tiny dot and line placed with intention, creating a shimmering effect. And that's what drawing is all about, right? Layer upon layer, thought upon thought, feeling upon feeling. The material aspects of this piece are very interesting. The monochrome palette is restricted but there is a dynamic range of light to dark across the scene. It's as though Milton is challenging us to experience a rich variety of tone even with limited colour. Milton reminds me a bit of Edward Hopper, in that both artists explore feelings of urban alienation and introspection. Like Hopper, Milton invites us to contemplate the complexities of modern life, and the beauty that can be found even in moments of solitude. Isn't that what art is all about? Holding space for ambiguity and infinite interpretations.