Mills c. 1937

Salvatore Pinto made this striking print of smoking chimney stacks, windows, and buildings. It's a dense composition, and there is something mesmerizing about the contrast between the blacks and whites. Looking at it, I imagine Pinto in his studio, meticulously working on the block with his tools. The level of detail is impressive, and I wonder about his choices. The factory looms with a sense of foreboding, with workers in windows. I sense that Pinto is pointing to the relationship between industry and humanity, maybe questioning progress or commenting on the human condition. This print reminds me of other artists who explored industrial landscapes, like Charles Sheeler or even some of the German Expressionists. Artists are always in dialogue, aren’t they, echoing and responding to each other across time? Pinto’s print offers a stark vision, inviting us to reflect on the world around us and our place within it.