Woemergency 1942

Kukryniksy made this cartoon, Woemergency, with ink and colour wash, we don’t know exactly when. The lines are so energetic, zinging with a kind of dark humour. It’s all about speed and wit, about getting the joke across with as few marks as possible, the kind of mark-making that gives you the sense the artist is thinking on the page. Look at the way they’ve used line to create volume, how a few strokes around the figures suggest the bulk and weight of their bodies. The colours, too, are so limited – just a few washes of grey and brown – but they’re used to great effect, creating depth and shadow and a sense of unease. There is a definite Goya energy coming off this picture. I love the way these artists have responded to his work and brought something totally new. For me, art is always a conversation across time. It's not about fixed meanings but embracing ambiguity, letting the work speak in its own way.