Staten Island 1934

Theodore Roszak made 'Staten Island' as a print, and you can see the hand of the artist in the making process, as if he's reaching out to us from the past. This print is a mechanical reproduction with a human touch. The teal of the water is almost completely flat and undisturbed, but there's this really intriguing contrast in the use of hatched lines to create a grainy texture in other parts. It feels as though Roszak embraced these variations, and let these marks stand as part of the work. I love the little peek of nature within the building on the right-hand side; it emphasizes a meeting between the natural world and our constructed one. The whole piece hums with a dynamic energy. It reminds me of Stuart Davis, but maybe a little less jazzy, a bit more contemplative. It's a reminder that art doesn't need to shout to be heard; sometimes, it whispers.