Trees and a Star c. 1957

Charles Knowles made this print called Trees and a Star sometime before 1958, and, man, it's got a kind of raw simplicity that just grabs you, right? It’s all about shapes and colors doin' their thing. Check out those trees down below, each one a bit wonky and unique, like they’re grooving to their own silent disco. And then that sun, or star, up top? It's like a little explosion of energy, all jagged edges and circles bumping into each other. The whole thing feels like Knowles was just figuring it out as he went along. There’s a real physical presence to the print – you can almost feel the texture of the woodcut, like he’s letting you in on his process. The simple palette, the careful shapes, it reminds me of the boldness and playfulness you see in someone like Henri Matisse's cut-outs, you know? That same idea of art as this open conversation, where the meaning is always a moving target.