Holiday Time, No. 1 1934

J. J. Lankes made this wood engraving titled 'Holiday Time, No. 1', sometime in the first half of the 20th century. With such limited tonal range, you really notice all the different marks. They give you so much information. I find myself getting lost in the blizzard of tiny white flecks against velvety black. The crisp geometry of the architecture contrasts with the organic, almost brutal rendering of the tree in the foreground. The texture is thick with detail, almost overwhelming. And then, there’s the snow, light and soft. It’s as though Lankes is showing us that simple materials can still create complex worlds. It reminds me of the prints of Edvard Munch, that same feeling of being in a dark place, yet finding some kind of peace in the stark beauty of it all. Art is always a conversation, right? This piece invites us to listen in. It’s not about answers, but about the questions it stirs within us.