Social Security 1936

Stefan Hirsch made this print, Social Security, using black ink on paper. It is a process of reduction, carving away to reveal the image. Look closely. The figure is built up of precise, almost architectural marks. See how the lines on the robe pull forward, the angles of the face, the way his hands clutch the book and walking stick. It’s stark. It's graphic. It's almost brutalist. You can feel the artist’s hand in the way these marks create the image. Each line is like a conscious decision, a tiny gesture that adds up to the whole. It reminds me of Käthe Kollwitz. Both artists used printmaking to tackle weighty social issues with a kind of directness that cuts through the noise. Art is a conversation, right? A back and forth across time. It’s about asking questions more than giving answers. And this print definitely asks a lot of questions.