Mott St., NY c. 1925

Jerome Myers created this etching of Mott St., NY. Look at how Myers has used these scratchy, nervous lines to convey the energy of the street! I'm feeling the mood of that old-time New York, the pushcarts, the vendors, the feeling of a summer afternoon. You can imagine him standing there, maybe sketching quickly, trying to capture a moment. The buildings lean a little, and the figures are kind of rough. I imagine that this way of seeing the world might be connected to the Ashcan school of painting, with its focus on urban life and everyday subjects. Myers is doing his thing, connecting with the tradition, but also pushing it forward. It's like all art, an ongoing conversation where one person builds on the ideas and approaches of another. Ultimately, the artist and the viewer come to find their own meaning in the work.