Cowhand c. 1943

Jack Van Deckter's ‘Cowhand’ is a woodcut print, and you can just imagine him carving away at the block, the image emerging with each careful gouge. It’s got this strong contrast, black and white, capturing the rough-hewn character of the subject. I love the way Van Deckter uses lines to define the form, you can see the planes of the face, the creases around the eyes, the texture of the hat. There’s a quiet intensity in his gaze. The way the hand supports the face, it's like he’s caught in a moment of reflection. The surface is built up from these deliberate marks, each cut contributing to the whole. It reminds me of other printmakers who are also masters of light and shadow, like Kathe Kollwitz. There’s this dialogue happening between artists across time, each one building on what came before, each one offering their own unique perspective. It’s this ongoing conversation that keeps art alive, always evolving, always challenging us to see the world in new ways.