Up and On 1940

Richard Evett Bishop made this etching, titled 'Up and On', in 1940. What strikes me is the artist’s approach, the way the marks build up to create the illusion of feathers and flight. It’s clear that Bishop understood artmaking as a patient, committed process, slowly building images from simple means. The texture of the piece is fascinating. The lines vary in weight, creating depth and shadow. Look closely and you can see how the individual strokes of the etching tool coalesce to form the ducks and the reeds. It's quite impressive how he captures the dynamism of the ducks' movement with static lines. Notice how each duck seems to have its own character, each captured with subtle differences in the etched marks. This piece reminds me a little of Durer's engravings. Like Durer, Bishop embraces the ambiguities of mark-making. There is no definitive statement being made here, just a fleeting moment captured in lines. It's this openness to interpretation that keeps me coming back to works like this.