Palizzi, Calabria (October 1930) 1930

M.C. Escher made this wood engraving titled ‘Palizzi, Calabria’ in October 1930. Just imagine Escher there, with his tools, carefully carving away at the wood. What’s he thinking? Is he sweating? Does he feel as though he’s chiseling away at the very fabric of reality, just to build this village? Each tiny line, so precise, is a testament to his focus. And look at the textures he creates! The sky is alive with scratches, while the village itself sits, perched on the landscape. The buildings almost seem alive, like they are clinging to the hill. All this hatching, it's like he’s building a whole world, right there on that block of wood. The ink is so thick in places you could almost feel it rising off the page. It's a conversation between the artist, the material, and us, the viewers. We are all in dialogue with each other.