Untitled 1916

Morton Schamberg's 'Untitled' is a dance of lines made with graphite on paper. The drawing features a mechanical form, an industrial motif rendered in stark, contrasting strokes. The image’s components—cylindrical shapes, rigid bars—evoke the cold, impersonal nature of the machine age. Yet, these shapes find echoes in other artistic expressions across time. The cylinder, for instance, echoes the classical column, a symbol of strength and stability, but here it is transformed, mechanized. Consider the emotional undercurrent of this transformation. The hard lines and sharp angles, repeated and varied, create a visual rhythm that mimics the relentless pulse of machinery. This rhythm, while modern, taps into a primal response, mirroring the heartbeat, the breath, and the cycles of life and death. The mechanical form persists throughout history, a symbol of progress, of dehumanization, of power, and of destruction. As you consider the drawing’s composition, reflect on the ways the mechanical has been integrated into our collective psyche. The cold, hard lines of the industrial age have become a part of our shared experience.