Jags

Curator: This powerful print is titled "Jags," by Michael Rothenstein. Editor: It's striking. The heavy black ink feels almost oppressive, like a cityscape at dusk. Curator: Rothenstein was fascinated by the possibilities of woodblock printing. Look at the rough texture, the visible marks of the tools and the process. Editor: He's not afraid to show the labor. The repetition of the car shapes hints at mass production, consumerism perhaps? And how the black and gold hues affect our viewing experience? Curator: Quite possibly. There's a strong argument that Rothenstein is commenting on postwar British society through the symbolic weight of the automobile. Editor: I leave with a sense of decay, or maybe just an honest appraisal of the machine age. Curator: A fittingly complex legacy, wouldn't you agree?