In the Park 1942

This is Albert Urban’s woodcut print, "In the Park," made sometime in the middle of the 20th century. It’s so exciting to see how much information Urban can give us with so few marks. The colour palette is tight, just three colours, kind of earthy reds and browns and muted blues, yet it's so expressive. Looking at the texture, you can really see the marks of the woodcut coming through. The image is built up of small blocks of colour. Notice the dog in the foreground and the figure in the chair, and the way the flat shapes describe the scene so economically. The red that links the dog and the figure, feels like a bold move, but it works, because it creates a sense of unity across the whole scene. Thinking of other artists who worked in printmaking, I’m reminded of Gauguin and his exploration of colour. There's something enduring about the way that artists keep returning to the same themes and subjects across time, and using the language of their chosen materials to reinvent the world for themselves.