Untitled (Envelope with Leaves) 1981

This etching, made by Miguel Cervantes, sometime after 1980, uses a limited palette to create a landscape of mountains. Look at how Cervantes manipulates the textures; the striations create a sense of form, light, and depth. I can imagine the artist scraping into the plate, perhaps not knowing what the outcome will be, only an intention, a willingness to try something out. Maybe they were inspired by a trip or were working from memory. I can feel the artist's hand and how they carefully considered each line and mark. This intense, focused labor expresses a certain feeling, a mood, that I think we can all connect with. This piece reminds me of other artists like Gerhard Richter, who also explore landscape and abstraction in their work. It’s all one big conversation. Artists are always looking at, and building upon, what others have done before. There's room for more than one way of seeing and being in the world. And the conversation continues.