Industrial Strife 1938

Boris Gorelick made this print called ‘Industrial Strife’. It's undated, but he was active in the first half of the twentieth century. It's a monochrome piece, all blacks, whites, and grays. The figures emerge from a kind of smoky atmosphere, as if we are party to some secret knowledge. I love how the artist uses these high contrast marks to create so much drama. There's a real intensity in the faces of the figures, their eyes wide with worry, confusion, or anger. Check out the bottom right of the image. Here you see the artist has created a series of short hatching marks, almost like scratches, to create an area of deep shadow. ‘Industrial Strife’ reminds me a bit of Kathe Kollwitz, another printmaker who was interested in themes of social justice. Both artists use the medium of printmaking to create images that are both beautiful and politically engaged. Art like this reminds us that ambiguity can be a powerful tool for social commentary.