Third Rail Shoe 1904

This cyan-blue print, "Third Rail Shoe," was made by an anonymous artist, using a photographic process to capture the stark machinery of a train. The monochromatic palette reduces everything to a play of light and shadow, simplifying the forms and making us focus on the design. It’s hard to ignore the textural contrasts – the smooth, cool metal of the train car against the rougher, warmer wood of the floorboards. Note how the light catches the edges and curves, giving depth to this two-dimensional surface. The repetitive lines of the wooden floor almost feel like brushstrokes, a nod to more traditional art forms. Look at the dark, rounded shape of the train wheel. How it dwarfs the little brushes in front. These brushes and the name of the work make me think that the connection with the rail is an act of mark making too. This piece feels like a conversation with Walker Evans, who also found beauty and abstraction in the details of industrial America. It reminds us that art can be found in the most unexpected places.