#21: El Corazón (The Heart) 2008

Marina Pallares made this small black and white print, #21: El Corazón (The Heart), using a sharp blade to cut into a block of something like linoleum. Can you see the radiating lines and jagged edges? I imagine her carving away at the surface, thinking about what it means to hold something precious in your hands, like the way hands cradle the heart. The dark areas seem to push forward, making the central image almost glow. The bottle inside the heart is such a strange image – is it medicine or poison? There is a long tradition of printmaking and its graphic language is so interesting. It reminds me of the way Sue Coe uses black and white to create emotionally charged images, often about social justice. It's all a part of this ongoing conversation that artists have across time, isn’t it? Each one adding their own voice and vision, inspiring the next.