Industrial Site c. early 1940s

This is "Industrial Site" by John Conway Menihan, a lithograph printed in shades of grey. It's like the artist has walked into a dream of an industrial yard. I imagine Menihan standing there, squinting slightly, trying to capture the way the light hits the buildings and fences. Look how he's built up the textures, especially in that looming fence, using these tiny, deliberate strokes. It’s amazing to see the world through his eyes, this place, both solid and dreamlike. You feel the weight of the buildings, but then there's this lightness in the sky, a kind of hopeful, or maybe eerie, feeling. It reminds me a little bit of those stark, American realist paintings, like Charles Sheeler, but with a softer touch. It's like he's inviting us to find the beauty in these everyday, overlooked places.