Ex libris van Irén Bauer 1931

Dezsö Farkas made this bookplate for Irén Bauer, probably a woodcut, in 1931. What strikes me is the sheer exuberance of the making. The black ink sits on the paper, a solid block, yet the artist’s carving has a light touch. Look at how the figure holds a book while stirring, cooking, and playing with a child. The image suggests someone embracing the everyday, making art of life’s different roles. I keep thinking about the contrast between the figure’s busy arms and the stillness of her face. The multiple limbs remind me of Hindu deities, but grounded in the everyday reality of interwar Europe. In a way, this piece reminds me of Hannah Höch and her collages made at around the same time. Both artists are interested in remixing images to challenge our perceptions of women in art. I am drawn to the unpretentious quality of the print and its celebration of the possibilities of an image to mean many things at once.