Kale boom 1919

Julie de Graag made this woodcut, 'Kale boom', around 1919. It's all about the dance between black and white, a simple palette that speaks volumes. Look at how the stark lines of the bare tree reach up, a delicate scribble against the sky, and how they contrast with the solid, grounded lines of the landscape. It feels like she’s carving out a space to think, to breathe. The texture comes from the wood itself. You can almost feel the grain, the resistance the artist encountered. The way the branches wiggle and reach, it reminds me of how we, as artists, reach for something, not always knowing what we’ll find. There's a rawness here, a directness, that reminds me a bit of some of the German Expressionists, like Emil Nolde, who were also playing with woodcuts. But de Graag’s touch is lighter, more lyrical. It’s a conversation, a question, more than a statement.