Logan Square 

Salvatore Pinto created this etching of Logan Square, using a copper plate, acid, and ink. The printmaking process Pinto used to create "Logan Square" is a fascinating blend of skill, labor, and chemistry. An etching begins with a metal plate covered in a waxy, acid-resistant ground. The artist scratches an image into this ground, exposing the metal beneath. When the plate is submerged in acid, the exposed lines are "bitten," creating grooves. Ink is then applied to the plate, pushed into these grooves, and the surface wiped clean. Finally, the plate is pressed onto paper, transferring the image. What I find interesting is how this method—laborious and indirect—shapes our perception of the scene. The delicate lines capture the square's architectural details, but also hint at the industrial processes that defined the era. The density of lines around buildings such as the "Hotel Sherman", evokes the energy and industry of a bustling modern city. Ultimately, Pinto's choice of etching, with its dependence on craft and industry, encourages us to see Logan Square not just as a place, but as a product of labor, skill, and the social forces of its time.