Oil Tanks 1952

Grace Albee made this black and white print of oil tanks using wood engraving, and it’s so cool to imagine her carving away at the woodblock. I think there's a lot of planning here but it still feels fluid and alive. The oil tanks loom large, like giant tin cans, and the boats bob in the water, each line carefully placed. There's a lot of detail - look at the fence in the foreground and the brickwork on the side. I’m thinking about those long hours she probably spent hunched over the wood, meticulously carving each tiny line, the smell of the ink, the pressure of the tool in her hand. And in the end, it’s all about light. The way it hits the water, the way it makes the tanks shine. There's a conversation happening here, between the artist and the world, between the lines and the spaces in between, and between all of us looking at it. It's like she’s inviting us to see the world through her eyes, and I’m into it.