Fisherman's Wharf 1932

George Paul Tsutakawa made this black and white woodcut titled 'Fisherman’s Wharf'. It is a dance of light and dark; the crispness and detail reminds me a little of Kara Walker's silhouettes. I imagine Tsutakawa, with his tools in hand, carving away at the block, thinking about the weight of history, and the push and pull of tradition. There's something raw about this port scene that hits me in the gut. It's not just a pretty picture, it's a feeling. The rhythmic lines of the wharf, the boats bobbing gently in the water, they all speak of a working life, a life connected to the sea. This contrasts with the geometric shapes, their jaggedness a reflection of the tough, gritty reality of the fisherman's world. He’s channelling something deep, a connection to place, to the working class. Like Jacob Lawrence, Tsutakawa sees beauty in the everyday and elevates it to something monumental.