Empty Lot 1946

Albert Herrman Decker made this print called, Empty Lot, and it's like he built the image from tiny, tiny marks. The whole thing is an accumulation of these marks, and each one is kind of on its own. But together, they create this whole world. You can really see the hand in this piece. I love how Decker embraces all these imperfections. The sky looks heavy, like it could rain any minute. There's a beat-up poster, some old newspapers, an abandoned wheel, all rendered with such care. I keep coming back to the poster. It's torn, but you can still make out the figures. It's like Decker is reminding us that even in the most desolate places, there's still beauty and stories to be found. Decker’s vision reminds me a bit of Philip Guston. Both artists seem to share this ability to find poetry in the everyday, or maybe, the discarded. I love art that makes me look at the world in a new way, and this print definitely does that.