Market Street Station 1931

Pierre Sanford Ross’s ‘Market Street Station’ from 1931 is made using graphite, probably on paper. I am thinking about Ross capturing this station, imagining the particular pressure or delight he might have felt when he fixed the scene on paper. The station itself is a grand sight. The artist renders the scene almost photographically with different grey tones and delicate lines. The surface of the station and the clouds behind are full of tiny marks that remind me of the urban landscape. What I love about mark-making is that even in its most controlled state, it can allow the artist’s hand and intention to be visible. You can almost feel Ross breathing in the smoke and grit of the city. The act of drawing is a conversation across time, isn’t it? Just like the one that carries on between you and me as you respond to what is in front of you, and how artists learn from and bounce off each other through time. It’s all one big, messy, and beautiful conversation!