Landschaft mit Fabrikbauten (Landscape with Factory Buildings) [p. 27] 

Editor: So, this is "Landschaft mit Fabrikbauten," or "Landscape with Factory Buildings," an undated drawing by Max Beckmann. It looks like it's ink on paper, a page torn straight from a sketchbook. There’s a sense of immediacy to the sketch… almost anxious. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I see the rapid industrialization of the early 20th century crashing headlong into traditional landscapes, and the sense of alienation that resulted. Beckmann, living through the upheaval of World War I and its aftermath, captures the jarring juxtaposition of nature and the machine. Does the sketch's lack of refinement strike you as intentional? Editor: Definitely, the sketchiness conveys instability and the imposition of these… oppressive industrial structures. What statement might Beckmann be making through that stark contrast? Curator: Perhaps about power dynamics? Factories represent centralized economic power, often at the expense of marginalized communities and the environment. Consider who benefits from this industrial “progress,” and who suffers the consequences. Editor: Right, that makes me think about how Expressionism as a movement engaged with the rapid social change of the time and questioned it. Curator: Exactly. Expressionism served as a powerful tool for social critique, dissecting power structures and amplifying the voices of those often ignored or silenced. Think about how artists used their work to reflect not just what they saw but what they felt about the inequalities surrounding them. Editor: It is like he’s preemptively reacting to unchecked expansion… like the start of it, sketched in nervousness. Curator: It reminds us to consider art as a response, an engagement with its time. To continually ask ourselves: who gets to build, who gets displaced, and who pays the price? Editor: That's so powerful, it gives me a new perspective for seeing artworks! Thanks for sharing that. Curator: Of course. And thank you. Thinking about how artists depict industry alongside of human life can deepen our insights into social responsibility and ecological balance.