The "Dumps" c. 1925 - 1930

This is "The Dumps", a print by Felix G. Schmidt, and it's all about the push and pull of black and white. Schmidt wasn't trying to hide the process here, but instead reveling in the art of mark making. The stark contrast really grabs you, right? Look at the ground, those dark, angular lines, almost like slashes, give the whole scene this raw, unsettling feeling. Then, see how the lines of the houses are so neat and orderly compared to the chaos of the foreground. This play with texture and form definitely shapes how we experience this dump, right? It's not just a place, it's a state of mind. It reminds me a bit of some of the early 20th-century German Expressionists, like Kirchner, who also used printmaking to capture the grittiness of urban life. There's no one 'right' way to see this, it's a conversation, a feeling.