Sampan

Eline H. McKnight

In this color woodcut an assortment of flat, sharply outlined shapes float above a textured background, in a geometric abstraction that suggests the lines of a sampan boat on a river. Elaine McKnight achieves a dimensionality to the overlaid shapes by staggering them ever so slightly, with turquoise over black, as if they are casting a shadow. Her incorporation of the background woodblock’s grain makes it appear as if it is a muddied river, the shine of a setting sun on its rippled surface. In this way, the composition is at once flat and full of depth.

A sampan is a small, nearly flat-bottomed boat that does not venture too far from shore, as it is primarily meant for short transportation and close-in fishing and does not have the structure to survive rough weather. These boats, especially the models with a fanning, multi-ribbed sail, are often associated with Chinese fishing culture; however, they are also found in Indonesia, Thailand, and elsewhere in southeast Asia.