Woodpile 1962

Phyllis Seltzer made this woodblock print, titled Woodpile, in 1982. It's a study in contrasts, black and white, where the process is laid bare. The eye dances across the surface, trying to make sense of the scene. It’s not about a perfect depiction, but the feel of the wood, the shapes and gaps, the texture of bark. Look at the top left, see how the tangled branches are rendered with bold, graphic cuts. The white spaces become as important as the black lines, creating a kind of visual rhythm. The whole thing reminds me of the German Expressionist printmakers, like Kirchner, who also used the woodcut medium to capture a raw, emotional energy. But Seltzer brings her own voice to it, a unique vision, one that finds beauty in the everyday, in the humble woodpile. It's this kind of alchemy that makes art so endlessly fascinating.