Brick Factory, Glasco on Hudson c. 1936 - 1940

Mary Adeline McKibbin made this drawing of the Brick Factory in Glasco on Hudson with graphite on paper. It's a real testament to how much you can do with a humble pencil. The whole composition is built up from tiny, almost nervous marks, layered to create tone and texture. Look closely, and you’ll see how McKibbin uses the direction of her strokes to suggest form, almost like a sculptor building up clay. The buildings are solid and angular, with a kind of relentless geometry that reminds me of Charles Sheeler’s industrial landscapes. But then there's a softness in the background, the rolling hills rendered with a gentle, atmospheric touch. I’m especially drawn to the way McKibbin uses light and shadow. The factory buildings are bathed in this soft, diffused light, but there are these sharp, defined shadows that give the whole scene a kind of stark, almost surreal quality. It’s like she’s playing with the contrast between the real and the imagined, the industrial and the pastoral. It's a conversation, and a really interesting one at that.