The Yellow Table 1946

Maxil Ballinger made this print called “The Yellow Table” with etching, aquatint and engraving, and it's got this muted colour palette with yellows, blues, and browns. I love the way it invites you into the artist's intimate space. I’m picturing Ballinger hunched over the plate, carefully layering each tone, wiping away excess ink with a rag, and then pressing each layer one by one. You can see the lines etched into the table, as well as the woodcuts in the background. I imagine him pushing into the surface with his tools, really feeling the resistance of the material. I wonder if he kept a journal of all the different methods? I can almost hear the scratching sound. I love the way that the dark branch across the centre both obscures and reveals. You get this sense that everything is carefully arranged, yet chaotic, and a little unsettling. The off-kilter perspective and stacked up images remind me a little of Diebenkorn. Ballinger, like every artist, was in conversation with those who came before, and those who are yet to come.