Description

This piece vividly encapsulates a moment brimming with life and joy in Washington Square Park, a place that was a second home to my father.

Here, a dancer twirls gracefully, her body alive with movement and happiness, accompanied by musicians whose melodies seem to float off the woodcut itself. Each figure in the crowd, etched with precise care, tells their own unique story through their expressions and stances, yet they all come together to form a harmonious tapestry of communal spirit and joy.

Dad, a formally trained classical artist, found endless inspiration in the vibrant energy of Washington Square Park.

During the 1980s, Dad began translating some of his lively park scenes into woodcuts, a process that demands both skill and patience. The technique involves carving away the empty spaces from a flat piece of wood, inking the finished plate, and then pressing fine paper onto the wood-carved plate to create the print.

This piece is proof of the beauty of the everyday moments Dad cherished so much. Each visit to the park was a new adventure, filled with people from all walks of life coming together in a shared space.

The dancers, musicians, and onlookers were a living canvas, each one contributing to the rich, diverse atmosphere that Dad felt and captured so brilliantly.

In this work, the lively scene is immortalized with amazing expressiveness. The depth and emotion in this woodcut reflect not only Dad's technical skill, but also his profound love for the human experience in all its forms.

I can still remember the many times we went to Washington Square Park, on a Sunday afternoon. And on any given day, but especially weekends, how it was filled with people of all races, young and old, just doing their thing.. Dancing, playing, playing music, skating, or just sitting... And there was Dad - an artist, in the company of artists creating and Loving, together. And here, in this piece, Dad captured the moment forever, with The Dancer. ❤️

Through My Father's Eyes