Cityscape 1957

Robert Conover created this linocut print, "Cityscape", in 1957. I imagine him carving into that block, the resistance of the linoleum under his tools, and the physical act of removing material to reveal an image. The stark contrast of black and white, punctuated by the occasional blue and red, creates a dynamic tension. It’s a city seen through a fractured lens, the bold black lines forming a kind of scaffolding, or maybe the tangled branches of trees obscuring our view. I wonder if Conover felt a similar sense of obstruction, of the city being both a source of inspiration and a barrier. That sharp red slash – is that a building, a warning sign, or just pure, defiant color? There’s something wonderfully raw and immediate about the print. It reminds me of the German Expressionists and their intense, emotionally charged woodcuts. Artists are always riffing off each other, you know, finding inspiration in the echoes of the past.