Interior #2 1950

Ruth Lewin made this Linocut, "Interior #2", using monochrome ink to produce a range of different textures. It’s like she’s building up a world one mark at a time. Look at how the stark contrast between the black ink and the raw paper creates a real sense of depth and complexity, it's so dynamic! You get this feeling that she’s carving out shapes from the darkness. The black lines are bold, yet there's a surprising delicacy in the details. See the way she uses patterns within patterns, like in the upper right corner, where these curvy, almost organic forms sit against the precise, horizontal lines of the background. It’s like a visual puzzle, and you can see the history of her process laid bare. This reminds me of Ad Reinhardt's black paintings, where he explored monochrome. Both Lewin and Reinhardt show us that there’s so much you can do with so little. It's a conversation about pushing the boundaries of form and perception.