The Commuter 1926

Pop Hart made this print, The Commuter, using etching. The marks in this piece feel really immediate, you can see the artist feeling his way through the image. I’m thinking about the areas of shading, those diagonal lines, like a rainstorm or a spotlight, and how they dominate the piece. They almost erase the figure of the commuter, making him part of the weather, or maybe just another anonymous element of the city. See how the lines vary in intensity? Some are dark and definite, others are faint and scratchy, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere. It reminds me a little of Whistler in how it captures a mood, but with a rougher, more direct approach. This print speaks to the beauty of capturing a fleeting moment. Like Degas, Hart reminds us of the poetry in the everyday.