Hurricane No. 2 c. 1935 - 1943

Eugene Morley made "Hurricane No. 2" using etching and drypoint techniques, and it's a marvel in monochrome. The textures he coaxes out of simple black lines, it's something else. Look at the way he's built this image, it’s all about process, about making marks. Notice the solid block of dark shading at the upper right, how that contrasts with the delicate, almost scratchy lines surrounding the stove. This combination gives the whole composition this beautiful tension, a feeling of something falling apart and coming together simultaneously. The different marks create a feeling of movement. It’s like he’s channeling chaos through the sheer physicality of his mark-making. It reminds me a little of Piranesi, all that layering and cross-hatching, a real sense of a world in flux, even as it’s meticulously rendered. Art's about seeing, thinking, feeling, all at once, right?