The Voice of the Bridegroom and of the Bride Possibly 1982

Here we have a print by Jim Dine, probably made with woodcut, showing a double heart. It’s raw, graphic, like a primal scream, and it feels very now, even though I don’t know when it was made. The mark-making is so direct. Big chunks of black create the form. The hearts don't quite meet, and that separation is key – it’s like a raw, exposed nerve. Look at the splattery lines radiating outward. Are they rays of love or shrapnel? Dine’s known for taking everyday objects – hearts, tools, robes – and imbuing them with personal meaning. You can see a similar sense of pop-art meets expressionism in the work of someone like Red Grooms. But Dine’s got a rawness, an urgency that’s all his own, reminding us that art is less about answers and more about the messy, beautiful, and sometimes painful questions.