Man and Woman 1905

Curator: What a striking image! Munch’s 1905 woodcut, "Man and Woman," really grabs you, doesn't it? It’s incredible how he could convey so much raw emotion with just a few lines carved into wood. What are your initial thoughts? Editor: Yes, it’s quite powerful. The stark black and white contrast is immediately noticeable, and the figures seem almost tormented. It feels like the woodcut medium itself emphasizes the harshness of the emotion. How does this print’s medium affect its message? Curator: I see the rough texture, the wood grain so evident in the background, as key to understanding the work. Look closely at how Munch uses the wood itself to suggest the fractured emotional landscape. Woodcuts, unlike smooth engravings, involve a physical struggle, carving against the grain. In "Man and Woman," how much do you think that act of labour is a stand-in for something? Editor: Are you saying that the labor involved affects our interpretation? Is the process the point, as much as the image? I guess, looking at the bold cuts and gouges, it is almost performative. The roughness really amplifies the sense of inner turmoil. Curator: Exactly! Think about the tools Munch would have used: gouges, knives. The act of physically removing material to create this image is essential. And what were the potential print-runs, the material process of producing identical prints of "Man and Woman"? Think about who might own these prints, the changing socio-economic conditions which might have affected consumption. What could the use of wood as a material evoke, in that era? Editor: The prints made them accessible, expanding the reach of these raw emotions to a broader audience perhaps grappling with similar anxieties, bringing the anxiety into everyday life? It really pushes against any hierarchy. I see your point - the process is inextricable from the art itself. Thanks, I have a lot more to think about. Curator: Likewise. Thinking about how the means of production informs our understanding opens up so many avenues.