Still Life 1957

This is Vicente Manansala's "Still Life," made with what looks like a woodblock print in 1957. It's not about trying to copy what you see, but more about getting the feel of it. I love the way Manansala used the colors, that blue and red, and the process of cutting and printing to show the shapes of the objects in the composition. The texture gives it an emotional feel. Look how the background is made up of all these horizontal cuts like the movement of water or wind. The green of the pitcher bleeds into the white outline, creating this unexpected, soft edge, which creates a sense of depth and vibrancy. It reminds me a bit of some of the early cubist still lifes by Braque. There's this ongoing conversation between artists through time. It is an ongoing dance of ideas. It shows how art isn't about having all the answers, but about embracing the questions and the possibilities.