The Camp, the New Architecture 1917

Joseph Pennell made this print using thin, dark lines of ink to show a bird’s eye view of a construction site. I can imagine him up high, perched on a building, squinting in the sun, and quickly sketching the scene below. I really connect with the way he uses lines to create shapes and suggest depth. They aren't exactly descriptive, but they catch the chaos of construction. There are so many busy little workers, too. It makes me wonder, what was Pennell thinking about as he sketched them? Looking at this, I’m reminded of Piranesi's architectural prints, but with a contemporary, industrial twist. You can feel the energy of progress, the excitement of building something new, but also the anxiety of rapid change. Artists are always talking to each other across time, responding to and building on each other’s ideas.