Bulldog 1912

This is Moriz Jung's "Bulldog", a print made with woodcut on thin paper. The colour palette is pared back, blue and cream, and the mark making is straightforward. It looks like Jung knew where he was going with his cutting tools - economical. It's interesting how the surface shifts between representation and abstraction. The bulldog is carefully drawn in simple lines, but the blue ground behind him pushes forward. The background almost seems like a cartoon landscape. The grid beneath the dog becomes almost psychedelic, an unreal stage on which the dog is performing. I love the wobbly quality of the lines, especially around the dog's body. There's a kind of vibration that gives it a real sense of presence. Jung wasn't afraid to let the materials speak for themselves, and it reminds me a little of Matisse's cut-outs, where the simplicity of form and color creates something really powerful. Art's just this big conversation across time.