Rock Crusher Mountain 1941

R. Wendell Tomberlin made this print of Rock Crusher Mountain sometime in the mid-20th century. The shapes are bold and graphic. I really like the dark, almost menacing presence of the mountain itself, looming over the scene. But then there are these small, rather charming houses nestled in the landscape. It’s like Tomberlin is playing with scale, making us feel both insignificant and strangely at home in this vast world. I wonder if he had a little house like that, or if he dreamed of one. The stark black and white contrast reminds me a little of some of the WPA-era prints, that direct, no-nonsense approach. But there’s also a personal touch here, a real feel for the place. The landscape feels like a conversation between the artist and the land.