Stock Exchange 1920

Joseph Pennell made this print, Stock Exchange, with etching, a process of mark-making that is linear. The final image is layered with fine lines, creating areas of dark and light, and describing the architectural features of the building and street. I am thinking about Pennell walking around, looking at the city, inspired, wanting to make something and capture the scale of the buildings. Look how the image is built up out of simple marks, and how the repetition gives a sense of grandeur. The density of marks creates value and depth, and you can see the artist working and reworking the plate, adding and refining to capture what he saw. There's something immediate about printing. It allows for an intimacy and immediacy that resonates across time. Each mark feels very considered, as though he really understood how to make the most of this technique. Even now, we are still in conversation with the artist and can learn from their vision.