The Jerusalem Woodcut Heart 1982

Jim Dine made this woodcut, The Jerusalem Woodcut Heart, with ink on laid paper. There is something so visceral about woodcut, and Dine really leans into that here. It's all about the cut, gouge, and scrape, isn’t it? You can almost feel the artist wrestling with the woodblock. Look closely at the textures. See how the dark ink isn't uniform? There are areas where it's dense and others where the grain of the wood peeks through. Each mark is so present. And I mean, it’s a heart, right? It's not just a symbol but an organ. In this piece, it's almost like Dine is cutting right into that pumping, vital thing. This reminds me of some of the raw energy of the German Expressionists. Think of Kirchner’s woodcuts. The same kind of immediacy. Ultimately, this piece is a reminder that art is a conversation, an exchange of ideas across time. It's okay if we don't have all the answers. The best art invites more questions than answers, anyway.