Rocks and Tree Roots in a Stream 1949

Robert Angeloch made this linocut print, "Rocks and Tree Roots in a Stream," using black ink on paper. What I love about prints is how the artist has to really commit to the mark. I'm imagining Angeloch out in nature, sketching and observing these root systems. What was he thinking about when he made this? Was he excited by the way the light was hitting the rocks? I bet he was! The contrasts are really striking. He’s carved out these white spaces so deliberately; there's a push and pull between the positive and negative space which create an intriguing composition. I can see an influence of Cubism in the way he’s broken down the scene into geometric forms. This piece reminds me of other artists who loved nature and explored similar themes, like Charles Burchfield. Artists are always in conversation, aren't they? Finding new ways to see and express the world around them. And in the end, isn’t that what painting and printmaking is all about?