Adam and Eve 1919

Lovis Corinth made this woodcut called Adam and Eve with stark black lines on a pale ground. I imagine him carving into the wood block, figuring it out as he goes, maybe making mistakes and incorporating them – turning them into something else. I see the story of Adam and Eve, but it's also kind of primal – a beginning. What do you do with all that pressure when starting something new? The female figure has her arm reaching up, is she taking the apple, or offering it? Is she active or passive, or is she both at the same time? I like the slashing marks in the background. It gives the impression of a jungle, or even rain. Painters are always looking at each other, picking up on each other's moves. Expressionists like Corinth were in conversation with artists who came before them, like Edvard Munch, and Van Gogh, all these intense artists. And they, in turn, have opened doors for artists today to make something new. That’s the best thing about painting, its constant ability to reinvent itself.