British Industries. Steel 

Richard Jack painted 'British Industries. Steel' with oil on canvas. It's a visceral depiction of steel mills belching smoke. Jack's brushstrokes aren't about refined detail, but rather the feeling of industry, the weight and density of labor and capital that steel represents. The painting's materiality emphasizes the sheer volume of work that went into industrial production. You can practically feel the heat, the noise, and the relentless pace of manufacture. Jack's focus wasn't necessarily on romanticizing labor, but more on illustrating the monumentality of industry. The choice to use oil paint, a traditional medium, to depict a modern industrial subject is interesting. It elevates the mills to a level of fine art, while also acknowledging the societal impact of these industrial landscapes. Looking closely, you can see how the painting evokes questions about class, labor, and the consequences of production. It reminds us that art isn't just about aesthetics, it's deeply intertwined with the social and economic realities of its time.