Bark and Brig at Sea (Barke und Brigg auf See) 1918

Lyonel Feininger made this print with black ink, imagining the ships at sea, maybe picturing the push and pull of the waves. Look at how the white space and the black marks play with each other. It's not just about seeing ships bobbing on the waves, but feeling the push and pull of carving into the block, figuring out how much to take away to get the essence of the scene. Was he thinking about other German Expressionists and how they were playing with form and feeling? The bold shapes and sharp lines make the whole scene pretty dramatic and energetic. When I look at this I remember that artists are always talking to each other through their work, like snippets of conversations strung together over time. Each of them leaving behind their own unique marks and ideas.