Twee varkens 1924

Jo Bezaan made this small woodcut print, "Twee Varkens" or "Two Pigs," sometime in the first half of the 20th century. Look at the way she used the wood to make a black and white image, it's so simple but full of life. Bezaan really knew how to get the most out of a simple line. The textures are so descriptive, you can almost feel the hay. I keep looking at the belly of the pig in the front and the way she renders its little legs with just a few lines – it's genius! The background details feel just right, not too much or too little, the trees especially feel very modern and abstract. This piece reminds me of other artists who were playing with similar ideas. Maybe someone like Franz Marc, who was also into animals and had a similarly simple way of making prints. Art is an ongoing conversation, right? There's no one right way to see a picture, it's always an exchange of ideas and feelings.