World's Fair Panorama c. 1939

William Sanger made this print, World’s Fair Panorama, with black ink on paper. It's all about the mark making, isn't it? The image comes together from all these tiny, tiny hatching marks. The dark ink gives real depth to the picture. See how Sanger uses these layers of lines to build up the mountains in the background, like something half real, half dream. Then closer to us, he uses the same technique to show crowds of people, all heading in the same direction. The whole thing has this fantastic quality, especially with that giant sphere looming in the center, reflecting the light. It reminds me a little bit of Piranesi, that same obsessive quality, and interest in fantastical architecture. I love that the whole image is built up out of these marks, there is no hiding, just the beautiful result of a careful process. Art is like that, an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time and place.