Oceanic Wood Carving 1900 - 1918

This is a photograph of a carved wooden figure, made by Morton Schamberg. The tone is warm, almost sepia. But focus on the image of the carving itself. Look at how the figure is formed. I love the way the wood grain feels both raw and refined. There's a real process at play here, you can almost feel the artist's hand at work. Note the incised lines that suggest ribs, and the way the face is rendered with simplified, almost geometric forms. There’s something so simple, yet profound, in the way the artist has brought out the essence of the figure. It makes me think of other modernists, like Brancusi, who were also interested in abstracting the human form. It’s like Schamberg is having a conversation with them across time and space, trying out new ways of seeing and representing the world around us. It's a powerful reminder that art is an ongoing dialogue.