Apocalyptical Space

A major force in the American print renaissance of the mid-20th century, Lasansky was a leader in the establishment of university-based print workshops, founding the first Master of Fine Arts printmaking program in America in 1945 at the University of Iowa (Iowa City). A renowned modernist printmaker and teacher, he was instrumental in the reevaluation of printmaking as an original, expressive medium. The Argentinean-born Lasansky first arrived in America in 1943, taking up residence in New York City, where he studied intaglio printmaking with Hayter at Atelier 17. This formative experience allowed him to meet many of the leading American and émigré European modernists. Like many artists who sought to convey the spiritual devastation and suffering of war, Lasansky used visual metaphor as an expressive vehicle, as in this dramatic print of 1945. His depiction of contorted horses and rider reacting to the agony of battle is indebted to similar figures prominently featured in the work of Picasso. Lasansky's composition also offers an oblique reference to the four horsemen of the apocalypse, which traditionally represent conquest, war, famine, and death.