Traffic 1930

This lithograph, Traffic, was made by Louis Lozowick and it’s all about the contrasts of big city life. The way he’s handled the lithographic crayon is just beautiful. There’s a real density to the blacks but it’s also somehow light and airy. Look at how the sky is rendered! The texture is achieved through tiny strokes that almost shimmer. It’s like he’s built up the image bit by bit, letting the tonal values emerge through a process of careful layering. I find myself looking for the human element in this image, someone caught up in the motion, a person dwarfed by the transport. The way Lozowick plays with light and shadow reminds me of some of the early modernist photography, like Alfred Stieglitz. There’s a shared interest in capturing the energy and dynamism of the urban environment. It's a great image to get lost in.