Moon Tree 1957

Herbert Lourie created this evocative woodcut, Moon Tree, at an unknown date. The whole thing is black and white, but it’s not just about the contrast; it's how Lourie carves each shape to create depth and mood. For me, it emphasizes that artmaking is a process of discovery, like feeling your way through a dark forest. Look at how Lourie uses the stark black ink to define the shapes of the trees. Some are dense and solid, others just delicate lines, like bare branches reaching for the sky. The texture feels almost tactile, you can imagine the resistance of the wood against the blade. The physicality of the medium is so present, it really gives the image a visceral quality. I’m drawn to the abstract shapes in the foreground; are they shadows, or just strange, angular forms? This reminds me a little of some of the German Expressionists, like Kirchner, in the way he uses sharp angles and simplified forms to convey emotion. I love how Lourie embraces ambiguity. It feels like he's inviting us to wander through the woods of our own imagination.