Manifesto of the Brücke artists’ group (title vignette) 1906

Ernst Ludwig Kirchner made this title vignette for the Brücke artists’ group manifesto with woodcut. It's so graphic! The relief of the woodcut gives it a physical presence, something really tactile. Look at the way the letters of ‘Brücke’ have been carved – or rather, not carved – out of the block of wood. The process here is so clear. It's all about the push and pull of the tool against the resistance of the material. That tension is the essence of the image. The shapes are really simplified and this almost crude approach suggests an intensity of feeling. It reminds me of Picasso, but with more jagged edges. Like Picasso, Kirchner was fascinated by non-Western art. You can see that interest here, particularly in the mask-like forms at the top and bottom of the block. It's a reminder that art is always a conversation between different cultures and different ways of seeing.