White Nights 1922

Mstislav Dobuzhinsky made this print, "White Nights," with ink on paper, capturing a view of a canal in what looks like St. Petersburg. What strikes me most about the work is how the black ink seems to dance and delineate form. I think the artist was trying to make sense of the place. I feel that the artist wanted to create something that was tangible and physical. The dark ink, thick with pigment, has a real weight to it, while the thin lines of the architecture feel lighter. It's like he's inviting you to walk down the canal. The way that each stroke has a sense of purpose, a kind of commitment to the act of making. There's a generosity in how Dobuzhinsky shares this with us; each artist in turn teaches us how to see and feel the world anew. With the black ink, the artist created a new world. A place of beauty and discovery.