Threshing 1932

Clare Leighton made this print called Threshing, using wood engraving techniques. What I love about wood engraving is how the stark contrast forces you to see shapes and forms in a new way. It's like the world has been stripped back to its bare essentials, and you're left with only the most important elements. Look at the way Leighton uses the white space to define the figures and machinery. It's as if she's sculpting with light, carving out these incredibly detailed images from the darkness. There is such attention to texture, from the rough-hewn wood of the threshing machine to the soft, rounded forms of the hay bales. It’s the kind of labor that connects us to the land and to each other. It reminds me of some of Käthe Kollwitz's prints. Both artists were interested in depicting the lives of working people and drawing attention to the beauty and dignity of their labor. Ultimately, art is about seeing the world in new and unexpected ways.