Robin's Court 1907

David Young Cameron made this print, Robin's Court, and what gets me right away is the etching; it’s all about the process of mark making. You can almost see him layering the ink, wiping it away, creating these intense darks and luminous lights. The inky blacks in the foreground pull you in, while the back becomes this hazy, glowing escape route. Look at how the lines almost dissolve as they reach the light. It's like he's not just showing us a place, but a feeling, a memory. The woman standing in the archway looks like she is caught between two worlds. Is she walking towards us, or away? Cameron’s work reminds me of Whistler, both were masters of atmosphere, and they understood how to make a print speak volumes with just a few lines. It's proof that in art, like in life, what you leave out can be just as important as what you put in.