Smoke Tree 1953

Paul Landacre made this print called ‘Smoke Tree’ and it’s all about the drama of black and white, light and shadow. You can almost feel him carving into the wood block, each line a deliberate strike, building up this monumental mountain. There’s something about the starkness of it that makes me think about the American landscape tradition. Landacre is doing his own thing, really focusing on the texture and the feel of the land. The mountain isn't just a backdrop; it's the main character. See how he uses these diagonal lines? They give the whole thing a sense of movement, like the mountain is alive and breathing. It makes you wonder what he was thinking about when he made this. Was he feeling small and insignificant next to this giant of nature, or was he trying to capture its strength? I think it’s a bit of both and that is what is so great about it. What do you think?