Telephone Poles at Krum c. 1935

Coreen Mary Spellman made this print, Telephone Poles at Krum, and it's all about stark contrasts and graphic precision. Look at how Spellman uses only black and white to create this industrial landscape. It’s like she's carving out the world with light and shadow, emphasizing the stark geometry of the scene. I love the grainy texture of the paper, it adds a sort of roughness to the image. You can almost feel the grit and the dust of the railway. Notice how Spellman plays with perspective; the telephone poles recede into the distance, creating a sense of depth, while the foreground is dominated by these bold, dark shapes. See how the light catches the edge of that building on the left? It's these small details that make the composition dynamic. It reminds me a little of Edward Hopper, but with a more graphic, almost woodcut-like feel. Spellman seems to be finding beauty in the mundane, showing us the poetry of these everyday scenes. It’s a testament to how much can be said with so little.