Look-Out Post (Poste d'observation) 1968

Pierre Alechinsky made this etching, Look-Out Post, in 1988, and it feels like a playful kind of experimentation, doesn't it? The lines are so clear and simple, almost like a child's drawing, but there's this underlying sense of something more complex happening. I find myself drawn to the lower part of the image, the squiggly marks beneath the birds. They remind me of tangled threads or maybe even roots, anchoring the whole scene. It’s interesting how the artist uses simple lines to create depth and texture. The ink is translucent, you can see the grain of the paper through the image, which gives it a handmade feel. There's a wonderful sense of immediacy, like we're witnessing the artist's thought process unfold right before our eyes. It reminds me of Joan Miró's playful approach to form and line, and both artists share a certain freedom in their mark-making. Ultimately, this print invites us to embrace ambiguity, to find our own meanings within its seemingly simple forms, and to see the world with a fresh, childlike perspective.