Roar of the Stars 1919

Johannes Molzahn made this woodcut, Roar of the Stars, date unknown, probably using a knife or gouge to carve into the woodblock, and then inking it up to make a print. There’s this great tension in the stark black and white, a real push and pull. The circles, zig-zags, and beams aren’t just shapes; they feel like they’re bursting out from the center, kind of like a cosmic big bang frozen in time. It’s like Molzahn wasn’t just depicting something, he was trying to capture a feeling, a sensation of movement and sound. I love the rough texture of the woodcut, you can almost feel the grain of the wood, which adds to the raw, energetic vibe of the piece. The contrast between the thick, bold lines and the finer, more delicate cuts creates a dynamic rhythm, making your eye dance across the surface. It puts me in mind of some of the Futurists, like Giacomo Balla, who were also trying to capture speed and motion in static forms. Art’s like a big conversation, right?