Southbound c. 1939

Gerardo Belfiore made this, Southbound, with graphite on paper. The repetitive strokes here aren't just about depicting a place, it's like Belfiore is thinking through the act of drawing itself. Look at the way the graphite accumulates, almost gritty, especially in the dark tunnel. You can almost feel the vibrations of the train and see the dirt and grit of the station. The way the light flares out at the tunnel's end, it's so visually arresting, and kind of anxious somehow? The texture seems to hold the weight of anticipation, like waiting for a train that's always just a little bit late. This reminds me of Piranesi and his architectural etchings, that same sense of monumental, slightly oppressive space. Art, like a subway line, takes us places, but it's the journey, the marks and lines along the way, that really matter.