Culture 1947

Hans Jelinek made this linocut, called ‘Culture’, using black ink on paper. The process of linocutting is all about mark making, it’s like a big, graphic drawing. You can see how Jelinek embraced that quality here. There’s a real sense of texture in this print, with the way he’s used the linocut to create a contrast between the smooth, flat areas and the areas where he’s used lots of small lines. The figure in the centre of the composition almost looks like it's been carved from wood, and it reminds me a little of some of the figures in Otto Dix’s prints. What really grabs my attention is the way Jelinek has used all these strong graphic elements - the smoke plumes, the zig-zag lines of the dress, the lettering in the background - to create a real sense of depth and dynamism. Jelinek’s work sits within a wider tradition of social commentary in art, where artists use their work to critique the society around them. It's like a conversation between artists across time, each responding to their own world, but also to the ideas of those who came before.