Industrial Landscape 1939

Elizabeth Terrell made this industrial landscape at an unknown date with oil on canvas, and what strikes me is the rawness of her marks. I can almost feel the brushstrokes, as if she mixed shades of grey to depict this scene and just slapped the paint on. I get a real sense of Terrell's presence here, like I can imagine her standing right in front of the canvas, wrestling with the paint. The paint is thick, like frosting, which to me emphasizes the scene's stark and unsettling quality. Look at the way the brushstrokes form the ominous sky. The figures look trapped, and that really resonates. I feel like I can relate to the emotions and the ideas the artist was processing while making this. I can see an exchange of ideas across time, inspiring creativity. In the end, it’s like Terrell is telling us that painting is not just about what you see, but how you feel, and how you make sense of the world.