China Supply Rendezvous 1945

Howard Baer made this lithograph titled China Supply Rendezvous in 1945. It’s all about the marks, isn’t it? The way he uses these tiny, almost nervous lines to build up this whole world. Artmaking, for me, is about that process of layering, of building something complex from simple gestures, much like this. Look at how the texture changes from the smooth rock face to the churning water. It's all done with the same tool, but the effect is so different. Then there's this little group of figures climbing the terraces, each one rendered with just a few strokes. They’re so small, yet they carry so much weight, both literally and metaphorically. It reminds me of how a single, well-placed mark can change everything in a painting. Baer’s work has a similar feel to that of someone like Thomas Hart Benton, although perhaps a little more intimate. It speaks to the way artists are always in conversation with each other, borrowing and transforming ideas across time. Art is not about fixed meanings but about embracing the multiplicity of interpretations.