Blackfoot Women Moving Camp 

Edward Borein made this etching, "Blackfoot Women Moving Camp," using metal plates, acid, and ink. An etching like this is made through a labor-intensive process that yields a delicate, almost ephemeral image. Borein would have first coated a metal plate with a waxy, acid-resistant substance, then scratched his composition into that coating. When dipped in acid, the exposed metal would be eaten away, leaving an impression. After removing the wax, the plate could be inked and printed. Notice how the fine lines create a sense of depth and movement, particularly in the figures of the women, children, and animals. The very act of etching, with its reliance on industrial materials and processes, speaks to the complex relationship between representation and reality. Borein's romanticized depiction of nomadic life is mediated by the tools and techniques of the modern age. It prompts us to consider how the material and the making of an artwork contribute to its social and cultural significance.