Shoemaker 1937

Will Barnet made this print called 'Shoemaker' using monochrome inks. I can almost see him in his studio wrestling with the block, carving out shapes, subtracting material to create form. Imagine the concentration and the physical effort involved in making something like this. It’s like the inverse of painting, where instead of adding, you’re taking away. Look at the shoemaker’s sleeve. See how the stripes make the fabric feel weighty and solid? And the wheel of the machine behind him, feels almost like a halo. I bet Barnet was thinking about all the other artists who came before him, making prints, making paintings, each one learning from the last. The artist never works in isolation. It’s a big conversation across time. Isn’t it cool how a simple black and white print can hold so much feeling?