Fontamara III 1947

Fayga Ostrower made this woodcut print, Fontamara III, with stark contrasts of black ink on paper. The scene emerges from dark shadowy figures huddled together, their attention focused on something unseen. I wonder what it was like for Ostrower to carve away at the block of wood, thinking about the figures as she removed material to let the light shine through. Woodcuts involve big decisions, because what you cut away is gone. Her dark shapes become active forms, pushing against the small pocket of light in the center. The texture has a life of its own, giving the image a tactile quality. I feel her looking at and making the work. It makes me think of other artists preoccupied with scenes of social life, like Honoré Daumier. Artists are always looking at each other, responding across time. We’re all just trying to make sense of things, one image at a time.