Tom Mix I c. 1920s

Paul Gangolf’s ‘Tom Mix I’ is a print, so it’s all about lines, hatching, and seeing how much information you can convey with just a few marks. The artist really understands that artmaking is a process. This print is all about texture, despite the limited palette. There's something scratchy and immediate about the way the lines build up to create these figures on horseback. Look at the way the mountains in the background are formed with these quick, jagged lines. It's almost frantic, but it creates this incredible sense of depth and atmosphere. And then, notice how the horses themselves are rendered with these dense, almost chaotic marks. It gives them this raw, untamed energy that feels so appropriate. Gangolf’s work reminds me a little of Beckmann's prints, in that they both use a similar kind of frantic mark-making to create a sense of unease. This piece invites you to embrace ambiguity, and consider the ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time.