Ihr Menschen Vereinigt Euch 1919 - 1920

Editor: "Ihr Menschen Vereinigt Euch," a linocut print by Franz Wilhelm Seiwert created between 1919 and 1920... There's a forceful energy here, and the distorted figure sort of pulses from the paper. What’s your initial read on this piece? Curator: It’s an urgent visual cry, isn’t it? The German Expressionists, particularly in the years following the First World War, weren’t exactly whispering sweet nothings. Seiwert’s angular, almost brutal linocut slices through the sentimentality, doesn’t it? That figure, is it dancing, fighting, or maybe… both? I think it really catches the chaos of a post-war society yearning for change, while battling old power structures. Editor: I see that too. The text integrated directly into the image feels… almost like propaganda, or street art before its time. Curator: Absolutely! And notice how Seiwert uses the linocut’s inherent qualities – the stark contrast, the bold lines – to convey that urgency. It's rough, ready, designed to grab you, shake you up. Do you think the medium itself contributes to that feeling of rawness? Editor: Definitely. I can't imagine this having the same impact as, say, an oil painting. The graphic quality is so immediate. It also makes me think about mass production and getting the message out quickly to a lot of people. Curator: Precisely! A print allows for dissemination; it allows the message to take flight. The figure almost feels like it is bursting free from the constraints of the heavy black ink that forms its boundaries. You know, looking at it now, I’m reminded of the Futurists... Maybe not their aesthetic, but certainly their desire to shock and jolt society forward. Editor: That’s a cool connection. I’ll have to remember that. This has given me a completely fresh outlook. Curator: Me too! And isn't it wonderful how art continues to challenge and unsettle us, even a century later? The figure has changed my perception of what print making really can convey.