Initial D 1931

This is a monochrome print by M.C. Escher, and you can see he’s really working the contrast between black and white to create a kind of visual vibration. The way the radiating lines contrast against the outlined cross really make your eyes dance. Looking closely, the mark-making seems precise but still has a human feel, like he’s letting the tool do some of the talking. The way the lines curve and swell gives the image a sense of depth, even though it's totally flat. Notice how the cross is built from a dotted line, creating something solid from something ephemeral? That idea of stability versus movement is really present in the image. Escher has always been interested in mathematics, perspective and impossible spaces; you see the same kind of playful visual game in the work of artists like Josef Albers. To me, his work feels like a reminder that what we see is never really fixed, it’s more of a conversation.