Two Indians 1953

Roy Lichtenstein made this woodblock print called 'Two Indians' at an unknown date. It's a relief print, meaning everything you see was once a flat surface, and Lichtenstein carved away the negative space to leave the image raised. Looking at this, the texture is everything. You can almost feel the rough, splintery wood under your fingertips. The way the light catches the carved lines gives the whole piece a dynamic, vibrating quality. See the zigzags at the bottom. These sharp forms create a sense of movement, contrasting with the more solid, blocky figures of the 'Indians' themselves. It reminds me a little of the German Expressionist woodcuts, like Emil Nolde. They also used this rough, raw quality to convey intense emotion, but Lichtenstein brings his pop-art sensibility. The image embraces this rawness, reminding us that art is not just about the image, but the process that creates it.