Untitled (Gust of Air From Subway Grate) c. 1935

Curator: This is Florence Bartley Smithburn's "Untitled (Gust of Air From Subway Grate)," a charcoal drawing likely created around 1935. Editor: My initial feeling? Definitely a humorous, slightly voyeuristic glimpse into city life. The swirling skirt against the grid of the grate creates such an energetic visual contrast. Curator: Indeed. Smithburn uses a fairly tight, almost clinical rendering style that is quite evocative. Note the way she varies the density of charcoal to model form and texture; it's not overly dramatic, but very controlled. It emphasizes the planar qualities of the composition. Editor: It feels very immediate. The upward rush of the skirt – an instantly recognizable symbol, wouldn't you say? – it becomes a momentary interruption of daily life, capturing a furtive, playful urban moment. Think of Marilyn Monroe's iconic pose. Curator: Playful, perhaps, but there's also a sharp realism in the surrounding figures. Their gazes and postures create an emotional texture to the piece. Consider, too, the symbolism embedded within the cross-hatching and repeated linear patterns to emulate architectural forms: is the work referencing the rigid social structure, made even more apparent by a whimsical, uncontrollable updraft? Editor: Absolutely. Look at the averted gaze of the man on the right; his hat brim casts a shadow on his face as though to create symbolic privacy and shame in that moment. Meanwhile, the hat-clad women seem to stand by, offering cool acknowledgement. It is the psychology and shared knowing, embedded in a specific moment in time, that elevates the print. Curator: An apt reading. It speaks to the way Smithburn manages to balance both specificity and open interpretation within this urban scene. The arrangement isn't accidental. It almost presents itself as a diorama, wouldn't you agree? Editor: I think it serves as a reminder of how even mundane urban encounters can contain complex narratives about chance encounters, privacy, social dynamics, and our fascination with spectacle. Curator: Agreed. "Untitled (Gust of Air From Subway Grate)" shows us that even within a seemingly straightforward style of drawing, so much critical assessment and expression can be unlocked. Editor: Definitely a testament to Smithburn's keen observational skills and sensitivity towards modern life in her rendering of form, symbol and human psychology.