Wall Street 1930

Gottlob Briem made this print, Wall Street, on a sheet of paper using black ink. There is a lot of heavy and scratchy mark making, which lends itself to a feeling of something raw. It's like you're right there in the middle of the city, surrounded by all these looming buildings. The lines are not precious; they're etched and kind of brutal. The way the light catches the skyscrapers, it's almost like they're breathing down on you, which is a very powerful feeling. The surface has these intense hatched lines and rough textures, especially in the shadows. There is a great spot near the bottom, where you can see little figures, like ants, moving along. It’s this beautiful contrast between the smallness of human beings and these monolithic structures, which is not dissimilar to Piranesi. Briem, like Piranesi, understands that art is about creating a space for conversation. It is not about answering all the questions but about asking them.