Warehouse District 1939

Eugene Morley made this print, *Warehouse District,* in monochrome, probably using lithography. Look at how he’s built the image from layered textures, cross-hatching, and flat planes of tone. It’s all about process. The buildings are flattened and geometric, their forms abstracted. The artist’s hand is so present, you can see the hatching of the lithographic crayon in the lower part of the image, it’s this build-up of marks that really gives the print its richness. The composition is so dynamic, with hard and soft edges jostling against each other. I keep coming back to the top right corner, the way the artist suggests depth with these linear marks, it's so simple, and yet so effective. I think of an artist like Ad Reinhardt, whose black paintings push abstraction toward something almost spiritual. Morley creates a similar feeling here, reminding us that art isn't about answers; it’s about the ongoing exploration of seeing and feeling.