Fixing to Land 1939

Harold Edward West made this woodcut, Fixing to Land, sometime in the first half of the 20th century, and what strikes me about it is the way West uses these bold, graphic marks to create a real sense of movement and chaos. The whole scene is charged with energy – a cowboy barely clinging to a bucking bull, riders racing in the background, and even the landscape seems to be vibrating with life. Look at the way he carves the lines in the sky, it’s almost as if the clouds themselves are churning and roiling. The texture in the bull's fur, rendered with dense, careful cuts, gives the animal a palpable sense of weight and power. That gives an emotional impact to the scene. West reminds me a bit of artists like Thomas Hart Benton, who were also capturing scenes of American life with a raw, expressive energy. It’s this ability to convey so much with such simple means, this is where the real magic lies.