Old Farm, Norington 1902

David Young Cameron made this etching, Old Farm, Norington, using a process that’s all about the controlled accident. You know, like when you’re painting and you let the paint drip a little, then you think, “Hey, that’s kinda cool.” With etching, lines are bitten into a metal plate with acid, then inked and printed, it is a technical and alchemical process. Look at the roof on the left. See how the dark areas are made up of thousands of tiny little lines? Each one is a decision, a mark of the hand, but also a result of the acid doing its thing. It’s about finding a balance between control and chance. The whole image feels solid and ephemeral, like a memory, or a dream. For me, this piece has something of Rembrandt’s spirit, that same attention to light and dark, and a similar use of line to create form and atmosphere. It’s a reminder that art isn’t about perfection, it’s about embracing the unexpected.