Head of a Man 1919 - 1920

Max Weber made this small woodcut, "Head of a Man," and what strikes me right away is how the process is so present, almost celebrated. The blocks of color, brown, blue, lilac, are laid down with such simplicity, it feels honest. You can almost feel the gouge of the knife in the wood, especially in the black lines defining the man's face and hair. The color isn't trying to trick you into thinking it’s real; it’s just THERE, an object, a hue, a thing in itself. Look at the little grid of blue at the top, like a window, and how the brown at the base grounds the image, literally and figuratively. It makes me think of other artists who embraced the directness of materials, like the German Expressionists. Weber’s not trying to hide anything; he shows you how it’s done, inviting you into the conversation about seeing and making. And ultimately, isn't that what art's all about?