Deep Cuts: A Global Re-examination of Block Printing at LACMA

Deep Cuts: A Global Re-examination of Block Printing at LACMA

This coming fall, the Los Angeles County Museum of Art (LACMA) will launch an ambitious survey that re-evaluates one of the world’s most foundational artistic technologies. Titled Deep Cuts: Block Printing Across Cultures, the exhibition will run from November 9, 2025, to September 13, 2026, offering a long-term opportunity for professionals to engage with a medium that has shaped visual culture for centuries. Drawing primarily from the museum’s own permanent collection, the show aims to present a more integrated and expansive history of block printing, moving beyond conventional geographical and chronological divisions.

Curated by Erin Maynes, LACMA’s Associate Curator of Prints & Drawings, the exhibition’s core thesis is to bridge the silos that have traditionally separated the study of printmaking. According to museum materials, Deep Cuts seeks to reveal interconnected stories that are often missed in more narrowly focused surveys. With over 150 objects on display, the exhibition will trace the dual identity of the block print as both a vehicle for individual artistic expression and a powerful engine for the mass production and circulation of images and ideas across continents.

The exhibition’s scope is impressively broad, encompassing works from Asia, Europe, and the Americas. Visitors will encounter a diverse range of artifacts that demonstrate the medium's remarkable adaptability. The selection highlights key moments in the history of the craft, juxtaposing patterned textiles from India with the intricate, illustrated books of William Morris’s Kelmscott Press. This trans-historical approach connects the utilitarian beauty of early printed fabrics with the aesthetic ideals of the Arts and Crafts movement.

Further illustrating this range, the exhibition will feature works from the German Expressionists, who revived the woodcut in the early 20th century for its raw, emotive power. These historical examples are brought into dialogue with contemporary practice through the inclusion of artists like Christiane Baumgartner, known for her monumental woodcuts derived from video stills. This curatorial choice underscores the medium’s persistent relevance and its capacity for continuous reinvention.

A significant feature of Deep Cuts is a dedicated section developed in collaboration with Block Shop, a contemporary design studio based in Los Angeles. This partnership highlights how modern makers are reinterpreting the enduring art form. In a unique fusion of exhibition design and artistic practice, Block Shop has worked with the LACMA Store on pieces inspired by hand-printed wallpaper installed within the gallery space itself, offering a tangible connection to the techniques on display.

For the art and antiques professional, Deep Cuts offers a compelling opportunity. For curators and art historians, it presents a fresh, cross-cultural model for exhibition-making that challenges traditional narratives. For dealers and collectors, it illuminates the aesthetic and historical threads connecting disparate collecting categories—from Asian textiles and early European prints to modern German art and contemporary design. By tracing the global journey of the block print, the exhibition not only celebrates its rich past but also affirms its vibrant and evolving present, reminding us of the profound impact of this deceptively simple technique on the world’s visual landscape.