Fixing to Land 1939

Harold Edward West made this woodcut, called 'Fixing to Land', sometime in the mid-20th century. I imagine him carefully carving into the woodblock, the image slowly emerging through each deliberate cut. Look at the contrast of light and dark, how the white of the paper defines the sky and the movement of the figures. It reminds me of Lynd Ward's wordless novels, narratives told through stark wood engravings. The cowboy, mid-buck on the bull, is a burst of energy. What was West thinking? Was he thinking about heroism or vulnerability? You can feel the chaos of the rodeo. The image makes me feel the drama and physicality of the event. Like many artists, West draws from what he knows, transforming ordinary moments into something extraordinary. The slashing marks of the clouds are so energetic. It all comes together in this image.