Sunset Cities, in the Grand Canyon 1912

Joseph Pennell made this print, Sunset Cities, in the Grand Canyon, and you can really see how he lets the medium do its thing. It's all about how the ink sits on the paper, a direct translation of his hand across the surface. The deep blacks and stark whites create a dramatic, almost theatrical space. Notice how the marks aren't trying to hide, they're upfront, creating a texture that's as much about the canyon as it is about the act of printing. Look at the dark areas, how they're built up with layers, almost like sedimentary rock itself. Pennell isn’t afraid to let the canyon be this looming, almost gothic presence. Think of someone like Piranesi, who could make stone breathe and buildings feel like living things, Pennell does that here, too, making the canyon itself a character. It's an ongoing conversation, this seeing and feeling through marks, that makes art so endlessly fascinating, isn't it?