The Ghost 1921

M.C. Escher made this woodcut called "The Ghost" using knives and gouges to carve into a block, inking it, then pressing paper onto its surface. What I like is the way Escher's ghost emerges from a dense, almost claustrophobic thicket of black foliage. It's like the artist is wrestling with the unknown, trying to give form to something that resists definition, you know? I imagine Escher, in his studio, meticulously carving away at the wood, each line a deliberate choice, a step further into the shadowy space of the unconscious. The contrast between the stark black and white creates a really unsettling, almost dreamlike quality. It's like peering into a world where the familiar rules don't apply. Artists are always talking to each other across time. So next time you see something weird, try making it. You might be surprised at what comes out.