In Front of the New York Public Library 1931

Werner Drewes made this linocut, “In Front of the New York Public Library”, in 1931. He’s using the block printing technique to simplify the world. It’s all about black and white here, and the rough, expressive cuts into the linoleum give it a real graphic punch. I love the way Drewes carves out shapes, the negative space is just as important as the lines he leaves behind. Take the American flag, for example, it becomes a pattern, almost abstract, but still totally recognizable. It’s a city scene, but it has a kind of dream-like quality, because of this simplifying process. This image reminds me of the German Expressionists, like Kirchner, who were also experimenting with woodcuts around the same time. But where they were all angst and emotion, Drewes has this American optimism, even in his abstracted cityscapes. He’s using the language of modernism, but with his own accent. So, what do you see in this urban snapshot?