Letter "J" Possibly 1953

Cor de Wolff made this print, Letter 'J', and I find that the stark, graphic approach here really gets you thinking about process. The texture is clean and simple, a lot like early cartoons, and everything is about the silhouette, creating impact through bold shapes. Look at how the white vertical stripes forming the body of the figure are created with what looks like simple, straight cuts. The artist probably used a knife. There's an incredible economy of means, but within that there's also this great sense of play, almost like a game. The letter 'J' becomes a container, holding a quirky, anthropomorphic figure. This reminds me a bit of Saul Steinberg, who also had a real knack for turning simple lines into profound statements. It's a cool reminder that art doesn't always need to be complicated to be meaningful.