Sculling 1930

Arthur Briscoe made this etching, Sculling, in shades of brown, and you can almost feel the action of the oarsman in the marks he makes, like the art is created by movement. I love the way Briscoe captures the boat's texture. He uses these short, scratchy lines to build up the form, creating a sense of depth and weight. Look at the water, too. You can practically see the ripples and reflections in the way he’s layered the lines. There’s one spot, right where the oar dips into the water, that looks like a burst of energy, with the lines radiating out like he’s capturing a split second in time. That one little mark tells you everything you need to know about the pull and the splash and the effort of rowing. Briscoe reminds me of Whistler, both use a limited tonal range to create a sense of atmosphere. Art’s like a conversation, right? Each artist picking up where another leaves off, adding their own spin on things. And just like with art, there’s no one right way to interpret what you see, just keep exploring and finding what speaks to you.