Untitled (Construction Site) c. 1930s

Editor: This is Louis Szanto's "Untitled (Construction Site)," created around the 1930s, using etching. It feels very industrial and almost celebratory of labor, despite being in monochrome. What draws your attention when you look at this piece? Curator: My eye immediately goes to the visible process. Look at the layering of lines, mimicking the very construction taking place. Etching, as a printmaking technique, involves a laborious process itself – the biting of the plate with acid. Think about how Szanto is mirroring the act of building with his artmaking. Editor: That’s a fascinating parallel! So, you see the material process of the etching as directly linked to the subject matter? Curator: Precisely. Consider also the social context: The 1930s, the era of the Great Depression. These construction workers represent both labor and a physical manifestation of hope, etched quite literally onto the landscape, and here in ink on paper. Notice the lack of individual features on the workers – they become types, representing the working class. Do you think that’s a fair reading? Editor: Yes, that resonates. The workers blend into the scene, becoming part of the industrial landscape. I hadn't considered how the lack of individual details contributes to this collective identity. Curator: And that collective identity speaks to a broader economic and societal moment. The raw materiality of the city’s skeleton, combined with the physical labor, creates meaning. High art and the world of the working class find a shared reality in the physical processes. What are your final thoughts now? Editor: I'm now thinking about how the materials and the making are intertwined with the historical and social context in a very powerful way, something that isn't immediately obvious. Thank you! Curator: Absolutely. Seeing art as a product of process allows us to peel back layers of meaning.