April 16, 1893 1997

Linda Connor made this gelatin silver printing of a solar eclipse, April 16, 1893. The eclipse hangs in the air, caught and suspended in warm brown tones. What was Linda thinking when she made this? There's a single white line that seems to cut across the darkness, bisecting the image in a gesture that makes me think of Barnett Newman. It seems to be a scratch on the negative. But I wonder if the artist felt like something more was needed, or if it was a happy accident, becoming an integral part of the piece as it drew into being. Painters are always in conversation with one another, past and present. There is a constant exchange of ideas across time, inspiring each other's creativity. As viewers, we enter the conversation, adding our own interpretations, feelings, and experiences. It is through this process of making and seeing that art comes to life, opening up new ways of experiencing the world.