Expanding Force 1974

Werner Drewes made this abstract print using black and grey inks to explore spatial and geometric forms. The way he builds up the image is interesting, with the different shapes creating a dynamic sense of movement, almost like the pieces of a machine fitting together. Looking at the surface, you can see the texture of the woodblock. The lines are crisp in some areas, while others have a rough, almost splintered quality. I’m really drawn to how the contrasting tones interact: how the dark shapes push forward, while the lighter grey recedes. There’s one element in the centre that looks like a skyscraper, or some kind of architectural structure. See the way the small white dashes describe its intricate details? These little details, like musical notes on a page, give the whole piece its rhythm. Drewes was part of the Bauhaus movement, and you can see that influence here in his focus on geometry and abstraction. But there's also something playful about the composition, like he's riffing on the language of modernism. It reminds me a little of the work of László Moholy-Nagy, who was experimenting with similar ideas around the same time. Art is just one long conversation, right?