Illustration for a Popular Song 1943

Leopoldo Méndez made this illustration for a popular song, it’s hard to say exactly when, but the linework gives us a clue, it feels of a particular time and place. The graphic quality, the stark contrast between light and shadow, it's like the image is shouting. Look at the way he uses these bold lines to define form. It’s all about the process: each cut into the wood, a decisive act. This piece is a direct response, an immediate outpouring of feeling. I love the way the texture created by the carving tool becomes part of the emotional content. And the physicality of the medium is palpable. You can almost feel the artist’s hand moving across the surface, carving out these figures emerging from darkness. It’s all about the conversation, and the power of art to reflect the world around us.