Untitled (Washing Clothes) 1933

Olin Dows made this black and white woodcut print, Untitled (Washing Clothes), sometime in the 1930s. What strikes me is how he translates a scene of labor into something so graphic and eye-catching. It's all about the contrast, right? Solid blacks meeting sharp whites, creating these dynamic shapes. The textures Dows creates with his cuts, like the parallel lines suggesting the ground, add a tactile quality to the scene. Look at how he carves out the figures, reducing them to these angular, almost geometric forms. There’s this play between flatness and depth, abstraction and representation. The person hanging clothes up to dry feels particularly joyful. This print reminds me of some of the WPA-era artists, who also used printmaking to capture everyday life. But Dows brings a unique sensibility, a formal elegance to a humble subject. It’s a reminder that art can be found in the most unexpected places.