Do vsech svetovych stran (Into All Cardinal Points) 1993

Karel Nepras made this etching, "Into All Cardinal Points," on a plate, using simple lines to create something quite profound. It's all about process, isn't it? The way the lines ripple out. The texture comes from the variations in the line work itself, which is somehow both precise and organic. The whole figure, standing in what could be water, maybe an ocean, is made up of these repetitive curves. The marks and gestures, particularly around the torso, give a sense of both containment and expansion, like the body is both solid and dissolving into the surrounding space. It reminds me a little of the way Agnes Martin worked, but with a more human, less abstract touch. It invites us to consider where we stand in the world, and how we relate to everything around us.