Buffalo Dance (Santa Clara) 1946

Ira Moskowitz made this print, Buffalo Dance (Santa Clara), using a monochrome palette to capture a ceremonial dance. The mark-making is loose, expressive; you can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the plate as he creates an image rooted in process. Looking at the detail of the Buffalo headdress, the lines are dense, almost like fur, creating a sense of texture and weight. See how the subtle variations in tone, from light grey to near black, add depth and dimension to the dancers. The composition is dynamic, the figures are caught in motion, their forms blending together to create a feeling of energy. It reminds me of Kollwitz's etchings, in the way it uses line and tone to evoke emotion and capture the human figure in movement. And that’s the thing about art, right? It's never really finished, it's always in conversation, always changing, always open to new interpretations.