Return 

Editor: This intriguing monochrome woodcut is titled "Return" by Paul Shaub. I'm immediately drawn to the lone figure in the foreground, separated from the crowded boats and shoreline. It evokes such a feeling of isolation and quiet contemplation. What's your take on this piece? Curator: It's funny, I initially see a community despite that striking solitude you mentioned. Maybe I’m just optimistic. Think about the cyclical nature suggested by the title – the back-and-forth of daily life, of journeys undertaken and endings reached only to start again. Each arrival implies a departure, each return anticipates another journey. What does that back and forth evoke for you? Editor: That's interesting, I didn’t think about it in those terms. Maybe it's about stages in life rather than just one specific journey? Like childhood to adulthood? Curator: Precisely! And look closely at the technique: the texture of the woodcut mimicking the ripples in the water, binding everyone and everything together. There is movement throughout this very still artwork. It also offers an almost dreamlike quality to the piece. Is the return literal or is it a metaphor? The mystery is beautiful, isn't it? Editor: It is. I guess it speaks to how art can hold so many meanings at once. At first, I saw only sadness, but now it also holds a sense of hope. Curator: And that, my friend, is why we keep looking. Thanks for giving me the chance to share my perspective! Editor: Thank you. I'll definitely look at prints differently going forward.