Kings 1961

Rudy Pozzatti made this print, "Kings", in 1961, and right away you see that it's not just a picture, but a record of a process. It’s all about the marks, the textures, the way the ink sits on the paper. Looking at the surface, you can almost feel the plate that made it. It’s rough, kind of gritty, and the ink isn't smooth, it’s broken up. The faces, those eyes looking out, they're not perfect, but they’re full of feeling. Notice the heavy outlines around their crowns which gives them weight and presence. Think about Goya and his dark, brooding prints, or maybe even some of the early German Expressionists. They weren’t just trying to show you something, they wanted you to feel it, too. It’s like they’re saying, art is about the journey, the mess, the questions, not just the answers. And that, to me, is the real magic.