Untitled (tenement) 1973

Gandy Brodie made this ‘Untitled (tenement)’ drawing with crayon, in the mid-20th century, when New York City was undergoing immense social and cultural shifts. Brodie's abstracted depiction of urban housing, dominated by intense red and fragmented lines, seems to reflect on the fraught social conditions within these buildings. The tenement, traditionally associated with immigrant and working-class communities, embodies themes of urban density, poverty, and social struggle. Brodie’s use of red evokes a sense of urgency, possibly critiquing the neglect and institutional indifference toward these communities. His style contrasts sharply with the social realism prevalent in earlier depictions of urban life, suggesting a shift in artistic attitudes. We might better understand Brodie's work by consulting archives from social welfare organizations and urban planning documents. Through historical context, we see art as a critique of its time.