645 North Michigan Avenue c. 1947

This is a woodcut called ‘645 North Michigan Avenue’ by Ethel Spears. Just imagine her, carving away at that block of wood. I wonder if she stood or sat? The texture, the precision! It’s so direct and immediate, like writing in reverse. But also, a house, which is never simple. I can see tiny people walking with a dog, and even though it is just black and white, there is something lively about the everyday scene. I want to know about that house, its windows and the way the light might fall inside. Ethel Spears must have looked at it for hours. You can sense her fascination with architecture, and people going about their lives. Woodcut reminds me of other artists, like the German Expressionists, who also used the medium to express feelings of alienation and anxiety. Spears maybe too?