Art: Wizard of the Woodcut

The hands that grip the gouges are as calloused as a carpenter's; the eyes that guide them brood with the sad sensitivity of a romantic poet. A chipper, Groucho Marxist mustache contradicts both hands and eyes. They all belong to Printmaker Antonio Frasconi, 44, one of the U.S.'s foremost woodcut artists. In February, more than 80 of his whorled and scratch-lined works (see opposite page) will begin a two-year long tour of U.S. museums. Sponsored by the Smithsonian Institution, the show demonstrates Frasconi at his versatile best, running from bright, bird-wreathed seascapes...

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