Hotel Commodore, New York City 1919

This photomechanical print of the Hotel Commodore in New York City was made by Irving Underhill in 1919. It’s funny, thinking about Underhill setting up his camera, trying to capture the enormity of this new hotel, a symbol of progress and modernity. I imagine him adjusting his lens, trying to frame the scene just right, maybe thinking about how to convey the energy of the city, the hustle and bustle of the cars and people on the viaduct. The sky is a pale blue, with those perfect puffy clouds that look like cotton balls stuck to the canvas. The hotel looms large, the American flags on top looking triumphant. The whole scene feels optimistic, capturing a moment in time when anything seemed possible, not unlike how I feel when I put brush to canvas. I'm sure Underhill would agree, there's always a conversation going on, between artists, between mediums, between the past and the present.