Woods Scene 

Editor: Here we have Harry Newman Wickey’s "Woods Scene," a black and white print. The trees look densely packed and the varying directions of the linework make the scene vibrate. It almost feels like the woods are alive. How did Wickey achieve this effect? Curator: It is interesting to consider "Woods Scene" through a materialist lens. The perceived dynamism comes from Wickey's conscious engagement with the labor and materials of printmaking. The density you mention is achieved through the repeated act of pressing the block onto the paper, a physically demanding process. The linocut, as a medium, allowed him to create textures that mimic the irregularity of nature. Editor: So the material itself influenced the aesthetic we experience? Curator: Precisely! Linocut, as a relief printing technique, allows the artist to carve away at the block, leaving raised areas that receive the ink. Wickey’s choices in carving tools and his control of pressure determine the contrast and tonal variations we see. The very act of cutting into the linoleum, a relatively soft material, dictates the character of the lines. The choice to use a less traditional material influences the final result. What is the effect? Editor: It almost democratizes the image. The labor is more evident, perhaps accessible. Curator: I agree. Also consider the socio-economic context. Prints like these were more affordable, reaching a wider audience than, say, an oil painting. They circulated art, knowledge, and imagery beyond the elite. The "Woods Scene", born of process, presents landscape as a constructed space. Editor: I had not thought of it as a constructed space before. Thinking about the material conditions of its making really shifted my perspective! Curator: Indeed. Paying attention to the materials, the making, the social forces at play: It can lead to exciting new ways of thinking about any work.