Southend Pier c. 1920s - 1930s

Charles William Taylor made this print of Southend Pier, probably sometime in the first half of the 20th century. It’s black ink on paper, and it has this really cool graphic quality, with all these stark contrasts. I can imagine Taylor out there on the pier, squinting at the light on the water, trying to capture that specific feeling of being on the edge of the land, looking out at the sea. I think he might be trying to convey the feeling of being on the pier, but it is very dark and you are not really sure if it is about the pier or the man fishing. The lines of the wood are so precise and sharp, but at the same time, they have a kind of looseness, like he was really feeling the grain of the wood as he carved. You know, printmaking is all about embracing accidents, and I can see that here. It’s kind of like a dance between control and letting go, and that’s what makes it so exciting. It reminds me of other printmakers who were playing with light and shadow, like Whistler or the German Expressionists. All of us artists are just riffing off each other, trying to find new ways to see the world.