Emblemata - Anvil 1931

M.C. Escher’s woodcut, *Emblemata - Anvil*, uses a black and white palette, and is composed of a series of tightly interlocking marks, which reminds me of the way ideas and images accumulate in the studio. There’s a philosophical weight here, the dense blacks making it feel both solid and mysterious, like the thoughts behind the work. Looking at the base of the anvil, you can see how the cross-hatching creates a rough, almost tactile surface. The stark contrast between the black lines and the white space really makes the texture pop. It’s almost as if Escher is showing us the brute force required to shape something new. The choice of material adds to the emotional weight of the work, the stark black and white creating a somber tone which hints at the labour required in artmaking. Escher makes me think of Jasper Johns, particularly how both artists embraced repetition and pattern as a way to explore deeper conceptual ideas. Artmaking is an ongoing conversation, and it's fascinating to see how artists build upon each other's work across time.