Genesis II 1914

Franz Marc made this gorgeous woodcut, Genesis II, with ink on paper. I love the raw feel of woodcuts. You can almost see Marc, carving away, letting the material lead the way. The blacks are so intense, they create this swirling space. What I really like about this print is the yellow and green popping against the deep black. There is an interesting use of graphic shapes which create depth, and an overall sense of organised chaos, and a sense of animals in there, like horses... I bet Marc was thinking about nature, about beginnings, like the title suggests. Maybe even how to create a whole world with just a few colors and some well-placed cuts. It reminds me of other expressionist woodcuts at the time, where artists were trying to get to the heart of feeling through simplified forms. There is a conversation between artists that is still ongoing today.