Elevated Station 1926

Wanda Gág made this lithograph, Elevated Station, using a black crayon on a stone. What strikes me is the tactile quality of the marks - there's something so raw and immediate about the way she's built up these velvety dark areas. The blacks are so rich, you can almost feel the texture of the crayon on the stone. Look at the way the lines vary in pressure and direction. There's real energy in these marks, especially the sharp, directional lines used to describe the siding of the angled building. It's like she's digging into the surface, trying to find the form within. Gág has a unique ability to take familiar scenes and imbue them with a dreamlike quality. She reminds me of someone like Kathe Kollwitz, who also knew how to make black and white prints that really sing. Art is so open-ended; it doesn't need to explain everything. It invites us to bring our own experiences and meanings to the table, which is what makes it so exciting.