Self-Portrait 1971

Here's a woodcut self-portrait by Morris Atkinson Blackburn. It is a face emerging from the dark, hatched and hewn from the wood. The stark contrast between black and white creates a striking image that is both bold and vulnerable. I can imagine Blackburn grappling with the block, carving away at the surface to reveal his own likeness. What’s so amazing is how the parallel lines create tonal variation – shadow and light – with the most minimal means. The marks are economical but suggestive, and build up a sense of volume and depth. You get a sense of his interiority. What do you think he was thinking about when he made it? Blackburn's choice of woodcut speaks to a lineage of printmakers and painters who embraced the medium for its directness and graphic power. It's a conversation across time. Artists find inspiration and new directions in each other's work. And you, looking at it now, are part of that conversation, too.