Bremen #2 1931

Howard Cook made this print, Bremen #2, we don't know when, using black ink on paper. Look at the cloud formation in the upper part of the picture; it’s made of horizontal lines. You can imagine Cook using his tool to methodically carve out each line, one by one, like a meditation, patiently building up the image. I wonder what it was like for Cook to stand on that ship, feeling its immense scale and power. The Bremen ship must have been so impressive that he just had to turn it into a print, a series of marks on paper. Maybe he wanted to share this experience with others, to capture the energy of the ship. Artists are always responding to the world around them, translating their experiences into form and color. Cook's work reminds us that art is a conversation across time, with each artist building on the ideas and techniques of those who came before. Ultimately, art is about opening up possibilities and inviting viewers to bring their own perspectives and interpretations to the work.