Anonieme architectuur in onleesbare lucht 1975

Harrie A. Gerritz made this monochromatic etching with architecture in mind, though it's ‘anonymous’ and sits under an ‘unreadable sky’. I can see Gerritz in the studio, head in his hands, peering closely at the metal plate as he draws into its surface, line by line. There’s something obsessive about the mark-making here, and a real commitment to process. Look closely, and you'll notice how the cross-hatching creates an almost dizzying optical effect. The building-like form shimmers and undulates, like a mirage in the desert. I wonder what was going through Gerritz’s mind when he made this print. Was he thinking about the facelessness of modern architecture, its capacity to alienate and disorient? The ‘unreadable sky’ might suggest a sense of uncertainty or foreboding. And yet, there’s also a kind of beauty in the starkness and simplicity of the image. It reminds me a little of Piranesi, another printmaker who was fascinated by architecture, real and imagined. These folks build their own worlds, in conversation with one another!