Opus XXX 1921

Johannes Molzahn's 'Opus XXX' is a print, probably a woodcut from the looks of it, all sharp lines and contrast. I can almost feel the artist carving into the block, each cut a deliberate act, a push and pull between control and chance. I'm thinking about Molzahn in his studio, wrestling with this image, trying to make sense of the world through shapes and symbols. The black ink sits thick on the paper, giving it a tactile presence. See how the lines create a sense of depth and movement. It reminds me a bit of early 20th-century German Expressionism, that raw, emotional intensity, but there's also something very modern about it, a kind of playful abstraction. It's like he's building a machine out of pure feeling. It's all part of a conversation that's been going on for centuries, artists responding to each other, challenging each other, pushing the boundaries of what painting can be. And here we are, years later, still trying to decipher the mysteries of the painted mark, still finding new ways to see and feel and think.