Two Bells 1918

M.C. Escher made this print called Two Bells, using woodcut in brown and green. I love the way this work looks like it’s been constructed, piece by piece, line by line, with a very clear sense of process. The texture is subtle, almost smooth, but you can see the marks of the wood grain in the brown areas. The green, though muted, provides a grounded contrast, a quiet earthiness that balances the loftier, more abstract forms above. Look at the bell shapes. They're not perfect; they wobble and shift, as if they're ringing out a slightly off-kilter tune. That imperfection is where the magic lies for me. The lines, rendered in simple, clear strokes, don't aim for illusion; they embrace their flatness, reminding us that this is a constructed reality, a space made of marks and gestures. Escher is known for his mind-bending tricks, but here, he is more like a precursor to artists like Sol LeWitt who reduced artmaking to simple, procedural gestures. Art's not about answers, but about asking the right questions.