Warrior
Last week’s post featured a linoleum block print from back in my twenties. Here’s another one from the same period that shows a completely different technique: white lines rather than solid black shapes. For last week’s image, I carved away the negative space (background), leaving the subjects exposed to be rolled with ink and printed. In the above image, the subject is carved away and the negative space is printed in black.
This is a proud and strutting warrior, festooned with a tall headdress and epaulets, brimming with masculine energy. He’s also an experiment in rendering the human figure in geometric form. While the white lines are fluid and slender, there’s structure in the way they’re arranged within the tightly-cropped space, lending a sense of strength.
Once again, the form of my idea was influenced and shaped by “primitive” art, coming from ancient and tribal cultures. In Africa, it’s customary for an accomplished drummer, dancer, or athlete to parade his strength and talent. So proud of their traditions they are! I was also thinking of the lithe silhouetted figures in prehistoric cave paintings – hunters and warriors who look like they’re dancing with herds of animals. There’s a certain elegance in those figures that I wanted to capture.
Simplicity was the name of the game. I’ve rarely been able to distill an idea down this much, stripped of all detail and reduced to such minimal form. What is he but an arrangement of concentric lines? Yet he strides with pulsing energy. My imaginary figure embodies a masculine ideal that kindled my imagination at the time – and has even shown up in my life from time to time.
Warrior is for sale. Please write for more information if you’re interested.
A good week to all!
D. Yael Bernhard
https://dyaelbernhard.com
Have you seen my other Substack, The Art of Health? In addition to being a visual artist, I’m also a certified integrative health & nutrition coach with a lifelong passion for natural food cooking and herbal medicine. Now in its second year, this illustrated newsletter explores cutting-edge concepts of nutrition. I strive to make relevant information clear and accessible, and to anchor essential health concepts in unique images. Check it out, and if you like it, please subscribe and help spread the word. Your support keeps my work going!