Chicago 1923

Curator: This is Louis Lozowick’s “Chicago,” created in 1923. He used pencil to create this compelling drawing. Editor: It has an almost futuristic feel, like a metropolis dreamed up by Fritz Lang for "Metropolis" or something... very geometrical, very austere, almost oppressive, but incredibly striking. Curator: Lozowick was deeply interested in urban environments and technology, aligning with the Precisionist movement that depicted industrial landscapes with sharp, clean lines and geometric forms. "Chicago" encapsulates that. Editor: The angles and shadows create this really dramatic perspective, don't they? It emphasizes the verticality of the buildings, almost like they're towering over the viewer, suppressing any human element. I am getting some serious feelings about the lack of green or organic things, the artist truly focused on constructed elements here. Curator: Exactly. Look at how Lozowick uses light and shadow to define the architectural structures, emphasizing the city's constructed nature. These artists sought to capture the dynamism and energy of modern urban life while, yes, also expressing a potential anxiety about its overwhelming force on human beings and society itself. This work predates the great depression, it feels as if Lozowick foresees what will eventually happen with urbanization. Editor: I see a critique of power within that industrial gaze. Think about who gets to benefit and enjoy such progress in contrast to those that it grinds. Curator: Absolutely. It’s essential to acknowledge the sociopolitical context. While some celebrated urban progress, others questioned its cost, the exploitation of labor, the erasure of communities, all done by those who profit from such endeavors. It raises the very timely questions about urban development, access, and equity which are especially relevant for conversations about twenty-first-century Chicago. Editor: Looking closer, the rendering in pencil gives the art a vulnerable sensitivity which feels interesting, since it brings out the themes of power, industrialization and exploitation, reminding me how many workers touched the paper. I leave looking forward to questioning how such a rigid-feeling piece leaves space for introspection, how is it that the artist managed to imprint such subtle themes. Curator: A pertinent observation. Thank you for your time!