Breathing Grass 1943

This surreal landscape, "Breathing Grass," was etched by Ian Hugo in 1943 using metal plates and acid. The intricate, feathery textures are a direct result of the etching process. Hugo would have painstakingly drawn his design into a waxy, acid-resistant ground applied to the plate. When submerged in acid, the exposed metal would be eaten away, creating delicate lines. The depth and darkness of these lines are controlled by the amount of time the plate spends in the acid bath. This is highly skilled work requiring patience, concentration, and an intimate understanding of the materials. The resulting print reveals a fascinating tension between natural forms and mechanical reproduction. Hugo's imagery evokes the organic world, yet the printmaking process itself is distinctly industrial. By embracing this tension, he challenges our preconceptions about the boundaries between art, craft, and the machine.