Tiger Trainer 1947

James Flora made this image, "Tiger Trainer", with printmaking techniques. It's got this wonderfully rough and tumble quality, like a woodcut but maybe more immediate? The whole thing is a study in contrasts, light versus dark. Look at how the artist uses dense, black lines to carve out shapes, and then leaves other areas almost untouched. There’s a real sense of play in the mark-making, a kind of controlled chaos. And the textures! You can almost feel the gouges and scratches, which gives the print such a tactile presence. Take a look at the tiger's stripes – they’re not just lines, they’re like little rivers flowing down its body, each with its own unique character. There’s a kinship here with other graphic artists like Lynd Ward, who also wrestled with the expressive potential of black and white. What’s great about a piece like this is that it's not trying to be definitive, it’s more like a conversation.