The Fat Harlot 1987

Edvard Munch made this black, green, and yellow woodcut. You can tell it's a woodcut by the graininess and visible mark-making. The woman sits with her forearms pressed against the table, a vase of flowers to one side, and a dark figure looming behind, almost like a specter. I find the way the artist uses the grain of the wood fascinating. Those lines aren't just there; they’re part of the process, part of the labor. I mean, look at the tabletop, the way the parallel lines run horizontally—you can almost feel the pressure of the tool dragging across the wood. In contrast, the figure is flat, and the flowers feel more delicate. The colors are stark, creating strong contrasts, particularly the woman's body, a kind of sickly yellow, glowing against the darker background. Munch’s woodcuts are so raw and emotional, but I also think about someone like Kirchner, who also made amazing woodcuts. Art is just this constant conversation, you know?