Hornet's Nest 1956

Arthur Deshaies created this print, "Hornet's Nest," using linocut, a relief printing technique. Deshaies carves an image into a sheet of linoleum, then inks and presses it onto paper. The bold contrasts and textures here speak to this process; notice how the carving tool creates the black and white effects. Linocut, while accessible, demands precision. Deshaies masterfully balances control with the medium's inherent roughness, achieving a striking graphic quality. He's drawing from a lineage of printmaking that democratized artmaking, making it more accessible to a wider audience. Deshaies uses the language of abstraction to hint at figuration, perhaps commenting on the uneasy relationship between nature and domesticity. The title itself conjures up a sense of potential danger, as a hornet’s nest is an established home that one should approach carefully. Ultimately, "Hornet's Nest" showcases how a humble material, transformed through careful labor, can yield a powerful artistic statement.