Three Generals 1962

Misch Kohn made this print, Three Generals, in 1962 with layers of lithographic ink, etching, and engraving. Look at these three figures, emerging from a field of graphic marks; they’re massive, looming. Kohn is known for his focus on social commentary and how it’s rendered here is fascinating: the use of text inscribed directly onto the bodies of these figures, obscuring their identities, makes them seem like monuments or structures. It makes me think about power and authority, and how easily it can become this monolithic, unfeeling thing. I wonder, what was Kohn thinking when he made this? Maybe about the weight of responsibility, or how institutions can overshadow individuals? Maybe this relates to other artists like Nancy Spero who used fragmented figures and text to explore themes of power, violence, and gender? Art is like a conversation across time, artists respond to each other, picking up ideas and transforming them.