Maxwellstreet (Chicago) c. 1940

William Sharp made this print of Chicago’s Maxwell Street, and you know, prints are like paintings but different: it’s another way of seeing and thinking and experiencing the world. I'm imagining Sharp walking around Maxwell Street, sketching, and then going back to his studio to make this print. I am picturing him carefully etching the plate, line by line, building up this whole world. Look at the way he uses light and shadow to create this mood, this feeling of a bustling city street, filled with people, commerce, and stories. The figures in the foreground are so vivid! Each one is caught in a moment, a conversation, a gesture. Sharp’s print reminds me of the work of other artists who have captured the energy of urban life, like the Ashcan School painters. Artists are always in conversation with each other, across time, inspiring each other’s creativity. And ultimately, art is an expression, embracing ambiguity, and allowing for multiple interpretations.