Wood 

Sue Coe's "Wood" presents us with a stark scene, rendered through the labor-intensive process of woodcut. The choice of wood as a medium is crucial. Its inherent grain resists the cutting tool, demanding force and precision. This physicality mirrors the brutal labor depicted: slaughterhouse workers performing a gruesome task on cattle. The sharp contrast between the black ink and white lines creates a sense of immediacy, as if the scene is unfolding before our eyes. Coe's engagement with woodcut – a traditional, almost archaic medium – adds another layer of meaning. Unlike the smooth surfaces of industrial printing, the wood's texture remains visible, a reminder of the hand that carved it. This connects the artwork to a longer history of social critique through graphic arts, from broadsides to political cartoons. Coe invites us to consider the labor and materiality of both the image and the meat industry, challenging our assumptions about art, craft, and the ethics of consumption.