Exit from the Suburban Train 1955 - 1957

Ivan Stepanovich Gomenkov made this woodcut print, "Exit from the Suburban Train," using stark black ink on what looks like a cream-colored paper. I imagine him thinking about his daily commute, thinking about people. The composition is filled with the backs of people walking. They are emerging from the train, maybe? The artist's choices emphasize the collective experience over individual stories. The use of a restricted palette strips down the scene, forcing us to focus on the movement of the crowd. There's a real push-and-pull between the graphic clarity of the figures and the overall atmosphere of urban congestion. I wonder if Gomenkov thought about how the linear marks of woodcutting mimic the movement of people. The bold contrasts give it a graphic punch, kind of reminiscent of the German Expressionists. It feels like he wanted to give a glimpse into a shared, almost anonymous experience of modern life. Like, where are we all going?