Wijnpers 1894 - 1935

This stark black and white woodcut print, by Mathieu Lauweriks, titled "Wijnpers," which means Wine Press in Dutch, presents a scene of biblical themes. I imagine Lauweriks, carving into the wood block, following the lines of his design, scraping away at the surface, slowly revealing the forms. The figures are abstracted, with long sweeping lines defining their bodies, pressed together to create a chaotic composition. The textures created by the carving tool are raw and immediate. There's a kind of folk art feel with the grimacing faces, which almost makes me laugh out loud. It's so interesting how the act of making something can become a space for exploring ideas, both for the artist and for us, the viewers. It’s like we’re all in conversation, across time and space, riffing off each other’s creativity. Artists borrowing from other artists, and the viewers interpreting. It’s a constant exchange.