Early Winter Sunrise 1938

This is Dee Oldham Joesting's woodblock print, Early Winter Sunrise. At first glance, the plumes of smoke rising from the chimneys signal industrial activity; however, the quaintness of the neighborhood below tempers this vision with a certain domestic tranquility. Smoke, historically, has been a symbol loaded with meanings, from signaling both danger and communication, to sacrifice and purification, evolving from ancient rituals to modern signaling systems. In Christian tradition, the incense rising to the heavens symbolizes prayers ascending to God. Yet, here, the industrial plumes against a winter sunrise may unconsciously evoke more ambiguous feelings. The juxtaposition of domestic architecture with the black industrial chimneys offers a compelling tension, a sense of foreboding perhaps. It is a testament to the cyclical and often conflicting symbols we carry with us—resonances of the past finding new expressions in the present, and the interplay between our collective memory and individual experiences.