JOE c. 1940

William Parker Abbe made this small woodcut, called 'Joe', and printed it on paper. I’m always interested in the choices artists make when they embrace a simplified approach. The stark black and white areas are so graphic and bold, forming shapes that almost feel like a child’s drawing. Look at the face. The mustache is so thick, and the eyes are just simple dashes, like a cartoon. The white areas around the eyes create a sort of glare, a really interesting effect. It gives him an almost menacing stare. The decision to use only black and white emphasizes the graphic quality of the print and adds to the emotional impact of the image. This reminds me a little of some of the social commentary prints of the German Expressionist artist, Kathe Kollwitz. It’s interesting how artists use these graphic, pared-down forms to make really powerful statements.