Graphic Sheet 4-II 1966

Karel Malich made this etching, Graphic Sheet 4-II, sometime in the 20th century. Etching is about the bite of acid, but also the gentle laying down of line; it’s a mark-making process that can be both sharp and subtle. Looking closely, you see these fields of hatching, sets of lines, one denser than the other. They’re like different modes of thinking, or seeing, from the dense thicket of associations to the singular, direct, and clear line of sight. See how the lines hover and float on the surface of the paper? It's like Malich wants us to engage with the work as a field of perceptual and perhaps even philosophical inquiry. The starkness reminds me of Agnes Martin's quietly rigorous investigations into line and space, but with an added layer of raw, almost folksy simplicity. Malich’s work encourages us to embrace ambiguity and multiple interpretations, reminding us that art is not about fixed meanings but about opening up new ways of experiencing the world.