Near Coney Island 1936

Curator: Look at this evocative cityscape, a woodcut print called "Near Coney Island," crafted by Isami Doi in 1936. It's got such a wonderfully textured surface. Editor: My first thought? Brooding. A lot of grays and blacks. It’s like a hazy, almost ghostly recollection of a place. The stillness of the boats gives the impression that everyone has retreated, as if sheltering from some gathering, or an earlier, storm. Curator: Doi certainly captures a stillness, a mood. Remember that the 1930s was smack-dab in the middle of the Depression, and there was, without any shade of a doubt, economic uncertainty for many working-class Americans. The way the boats are beached feels heavy, full of implications. Editor: The boarded-up cottage behind the boats on the banks reminds me of rural depopulation as a direct result of both the agricultural crises and lack of opportunities within urban centers. Note also the child standing with arms at their side: this hints at the economic stagnation which led to uncertainty for many living through this period. How they must’ve been hoping things might shift. Curator: What fascinates me is the contrast of Doi's realism with what I'd say is something else: it has a stylized element to it. The rendering of the clouds and trees feels expressionistic. Even the water, almost metallic. What do you suppose motivated this flattening of the perspective? Editor: I'd argue that it could underscore Doi's personal viewpoint on the anxieties faced by working-class citizens, amplifying that emotional resonance through the woodcut’s bold linearity. It’s the feeling of displacement translated into visual form. Curator: I never thought about it this way, but you are probably right. Editor: It is just an assumption on my behalf of course. Regardless, the texture gives it that wonderful graphic feel. Looking back, one could say Doi was a gifted printmaker. Curator: Absolutely. What a unique and powerful piece reflecting an era through its landscape and the latent stories it contains.