River Reaching, c. 2020

Daniel Rios Rodriguez makes intimate and exuberant works whose subject matter is mostly derived from nature, which we can see in River Reaching. Like his paintings, this print is an obscured and abstracted version of the artist’s personal experiences. In this case, River Reaching is representative of the flickering thoughts and sensations the artist has during his daily excursions along the San Antonio River. Though his work is informed by the canon of European Modernism and art historical painting, Rodriguez also draws from American folk art, which we can see here through the organic, totemic-like forms and light brush strokes. Unlike most prints, River Reaching is created in a circular shape, much like many of the artist’s paintings. To further blend his practice of painting and drawing, the sugar lift etching is a more painterly, intuitive style. The addition of paper dots on the print lend an air of uniqueness to each print.