Drypoint Number Four: Portrait 1909

Donald Shaw MacLaughlan made this drypoint portrait, likely in the early 20th century. I love the way he’s built up this image with a kind of frenetic energy. It’s all about the scratch of the tool across the plate, that physical act of making. Look closely, and you’ll see a web of lines, some dark and definite, others light and tentative, especially around the face and hair. It gives the portrait a sense of depth and volume, but also a feeling of movement, like the man is caught in a moment of thought. The lines on the coat are much more considered, darker and more regimented. MacLaughlan’s work reminds me a bit of Whistler, that same interest in capturing a fleeting moment, but with a rawer, more immediate feel. Art is such an ongoing conversation across time. This piece is all about process, about the artist's hand and the beauty of imperfection.