Opus XXX 1921

Johannes Molzahn made this woodcut, ‘Opus XXX’, in 1927. The graphic approach to mark-making, the restriction to black and white, makes me think about printmaking as a process. It’s about embracing a limited vocabulary and seeing what you can do with it. There’s something so satisfying about the contrast between the crisp black lines and the off-white paper. The texture is pretty minimal, yet there's a real physicality to the piece, which is really remarkable for a print. Look at the lower-left corner, where the black has created a solid block through an accumulation of small, parallel lines. See how this contrasts with the finer white zig-zags that it abuts. It reminds me of the work of Josef Albers in its simplicity and boldness. Molzahn's work reflects the ongoing conversation between artists across time, where ambiguity and multiple interpretations are embraced over fixed meanings.