Untitled (Steel Mill) 1937

Curator: What a somber piece. The high contrast etching gives Harry Sternberg’s "Untitled (Steel Mill)," created in 1937, a really dramatic feel, wouldn’t you agree? Editor: Absolutely. There's something oppressive about the looming structures. You immediately sense the grit and weight of industrialization, not just on the landscape, but the implied human cost as well. The artist created a bleak reminder of the human element in factory work and our reliance on these harsh landscapes. Curator: It's certainly a powerful depiction of the urban industrial landscape, reflective of the Social Realist movement. Factories took center stage for Sternberg who documented laborers during the Great Depression era, lending them both dignity and raising awareness of labor issues at the time. He often portrayed workers within their environments highlighting the sheer scale of industry versus individual struggle. Editor: Exactly, and in '37 the memory of the ‘34 Longshore Strike in San Francisco would have still been raw; the socio-political context charges the image with that understanding. The scene captures both the period's aesthetic fascination with the modern and the stark realities faced by its working class. It really urges us to question what progress really means. Curator: One can see how the composition itself reinforces that sense of imbalance: all those towering smokestacks reaching upward in contrast to those tiny silhouetted figures below. It's such an effective technique for illustrating relative power, or rather the powerlessness of individual workers within this huge complex. The almost complete darkness creates a dramatic spotlight for these ideas too. Editor: I'm struck also by how Sternberg renders what is not there—the lack of environmental considerations or the complete erasure of nature, replaced with something artificial and imposing. It makes you think about exploitation extending far beyond just human labor. Even though his social commentary is sharp, there's also artistic merit. Look at how carefully the light filters to the moon and reflects against forms and shapes. The textures are richly articulated in this monochromatic print. Curator: It definitely provides us with many things to think about. I think that even after so many years have passed since its creation, “Untitled (Steel Mill)” still manages to ignite debate around crucial points. Editor: Right, these critical dialogues need to persist in order for these conversations and change to occur around economic, racial and climate injustice in relation to industry. This piece serves as an amazing window into our collective history.