Bond Drive 1944

Lynd Kendall Ward made this print, “Bond Drive,” with wood engraving, and, gosh, it’s a process, right? Like life. Ward’s got this incredible way of carving, where the darks emerge from the lights, a real dance of positive and negative space. Look at the soldier's face – you can almost feel the grit and weight of his helmet. There's a tension, a kind of quiet strength etched into every line. And those eyes? They're staring right through you, asking a question you can't quite put your finger on. Then, there's the flag, an almost tidal wave of energy. The texture is palpable, like you could reach out and touch the fabric, feel the wind whipping around it. See how the artist contrasts the detail in the face against the activity going on in the background? It is really beautiful. Thinking about other artists who played with this kind of stark contrast, Käthe Kollwitz comes to mind, someone else who knew how to make black and white sing with emotion. Art is always a conversation, isn't it? A way of seeing the world through someone else's eyes, even if those eyes are long gone.