Owl 1959

Leonard Baskin made this small wood engraving called Owl, sometime in the 20th century, and it is mostly black ink on paper. It's all about process; look at how Baskin coaxes the image out of the wood, making these beautiful contrasts between the dark, solid form of the owl and the delicate lines that suggest its feathers. The texture of the wood itself seems to play a part in the print, lending a tactile quality to the image. Baskin's owl has this incredible intensity, staring right at you. It's not just a picture of an owl but an encounter. I'm reminded of the German artist, Kathe Kollwitz, especially her woodcuts - this raw, emotional power and how she embraced the materiality of the printmaking process. In both artists you can see the printmaking process as an act of revelation, a dance between intention and accident.