I See Us Dancing

"I See Us Dancing" is a color woodblock print from approximately 1982-1984 by Micah Schwaberow, bearing a title of unusual warmth and personal intimacy for the woodblock medium. The phrase implies shared joy, physical movement, and a moment of connection between two people seen from the perspective of a participant rather than an observer. Schwaberow translates this kinetic, emotional subject into the deliberate, slow process of woodblock printing, where each color requires a separate carved block and individual printing pass. The contrast between the spontaneity of dance and the methodical craft of mokuhanga creates a productive tension. The title's first-person voice, rare in Japanese printmaking conventions, marks the work as distinctly personal, reflecting Schwaberow's position as an American artist who adopted Japanese technique while maintaining a Western inclination toward individual emotional expression.