Le parvenu 1922

Frans Masereel made this woodcut, called Le Parvenu, sometime around 1922. I love how immediate and graphic the approach to mark making is. It's all about the cut of the block, and the stark contrast of black and white. The guy in the foreground is rendered with these sharp, angular lines, like he’s been chiseled out of stone. Then you’ve got that factory behind him, spewing out smoke. The texture created by the repeated lines and shapes gives the image a real sense of depth and motion, almost like everything is pressing forward, demanding your attention. It's so different to the smooth and smudgy textures you might get in a lithograph. Look at how Masereel uses the white space to create form. The negative space between the blocks is just as important as the black lines themselves. It reminds me a bit of some of the German Expressionists, like Kirchner. There’s a similar intensity and rawness. But Masereel, with his focus on social issues, brings a whole other layer of meaning to the table. It shows you how different artists are in conversation with each other, picking up on ideas and pushing them in new directions.