Tempel te Peking before 1920

This photogravure, “Tempel te Peking,” was made by Donald Mennie sometime before 1944. It is a study in greys, a layered composition exploring architectural space. Mennie's print work creates a world of tonal variation. The temple itself looms in the background, a feat of structural engineering, a marvel of ordered geometry. Look at the tiled roofs in the foreground; the artist focuses on their textured surfaces, capturing the light as it bounces off the weathered clay. Those roof tiles are like individual brushstrokes, each one distinct, yet together forming a cohesive whole. I love the way Mennie embraces the imperfections of the medium. The soft focus and subtle blurring effects are not failures but rather deliberate choices. It all reminds me of some of the early modernist photographers like Alfred Stieglitz, who were trying to push the boundaries of photography as an art form, imbuing it with painterly qualities. In the end, art is about seeing, and Mennie shows us a unique way to see and feel the world around us.