Rotary Press 1929

Wanda Gág created this wood engraving, titled "Rotary Press," capturing the industrial age's machinery. Its stark, black and white contrast evokes a sense of the mechanical, yet hints at the organic. Observe the press itself, almost resembling a skeletal dragon. The detailed depiction of the machine's mechanisms and movements remind us of the ceaseless turning of the wheel of fortune. The eye-like form on the machine is reminiscent of the all-seeing eye. Across cultures, the eye motif recurs, representing vigilance and knowledge. In ancient Egypt, the Eye of Horus symbolized protection and royal power. Gág's inclusion of the eye connects the industrial to the archetypal, suggesting that machines, like ancient gods, exert a powerful influence over our lives. This image invites us to contemplate the psychological impact of industrial progress, echoing the unease of a world increasingly dominated by technology, a world Gág masterfully captures with haunting precision.