Solaris I 2008

Christiane Baumgartner created this hypnotic print, "Solaris I," with woodcut on paper. The image is formed by the artist’s accumulation of single, expressive marks. I'm drawn to the way Baumgartner embraces the physicality of her medium. Look at the texture she coaxes from the wood, the way the grain seems to mimic the speed and motion of the cars traveling through the tunnel. Up close, you can see how the lines vary in thickness and depth, creating a visual rhythm that pulls you into the picture. The tunnel itself seems to be expanding and contracting simultaneously, and this tension creates an emotional space. The high contrast monochrome palette gives a futuristic, almost dystopian, edge. This piece reminds me a little of Vija Celmins' meticulous renderings of natural phenomena. Both artists share a fascination with translating complex visual information into tactile, hand-crafted forms. In art, as in life, there is more than one way to see and experience the world.