Drop Testing Parachutes 1943

John Conway Menihan’s lithograph, "Drop Testing Parachutes," captures a moment frozen in monochrome. It’s all about graphite on paper, a study in greys, where the artist's hand is so present, you can almost feel the soft drag of the pencil across the page. Look at the way he renders the sky –– it’s not just flat grey, but layered, with these almost imperceptible strokes building up atmosphere. And then those chutes! They’re these bulbous, ghostly forms floating in the air, a real dance of light and shadow. See that one that's just opened up? You can almost feel the wind catching it, see the tension in the lines. This kind of close observation reminds me a bit of Charles Burchfield's landscapes, that same attention to the drama of the everyday. Ultimately, art is about possibilities; it's about seeing the world anew, and sharing that vision, unfinished and open to suggestion.