Crop of the Autumn 1969

Vasile Dobrian made this print called Crop of the Autumn, and it's like looking into a puzzle that's also a memory. I'm picturing Dobrian, maybe in his studio, really getting into the physical side of carving the woodblock, imagining the story he wants to tell about the autumn harvest. There’s a figure in a yellow coat with arms outstretched, almost like they’re conducting the whole scene. And then another figure, caught in the act of labor, maybe grinding something, but it's not quite clear. The colors are grounded and muted, with an abstract quality, using greens, yellows and browns. I see the influence of folk art here, maybe a bit of early modernism too, but all filtered through Dobrian's eye. It’s like he’s saying, let’s not take ourselves too seriously; let’s find the joy and humanity in the ordinary. What I love about paintings and prints like this is that they keep the conversation going. Artists are constantly talking to each other across time, inspiring each other to see the world in new ways. It's a way of embodying ideas that embraces the unknown.