Emblemata - Beehive 1931

M.C. Escher made this wood engraving, *Emblemata - Beehive,* without a date, and the marks he made act almost like lightning bolts, or maybe some kind of electric charge hitting the beehive. It makes me think about how artmaking is really a kind of process of being struck, or activated! Escher’s choice of wood as a medium is significant here. The way he carves into the block creates these hard, graphic lines, and the contrast between black and white gives it such intensity. Look closely at the lines around the beehive. See how they seem to vibrate? That’s the physicality of the medium at play. I love how the texture and the surface of the wood, though not immediately apparent, add another layer to our emotional experience. Escher's obsession with pattern and structure in pieces like *Emblemata* always makes me think of artists like Josef Albers who had similar concerns. It goes to show you that artmaking is one big conversation through time, with multiple ideas and interpretations.