Loading Ice, Fulton Fish Market 1935 - 1940

Anthony Velonis made this print, Loading Ice, Fulton Fish Market, with etching. It's all about line, a real celebration of the drawn mark. It's like Velonis is thinking out loud, letting the image emerge through a network of delicate scratches. The texture is incredible, you can almost feel the grit of the Fulton Fish Market. The lines are so open, so raw, you get a real sense of place. The buildings in the background are just ghosted in, hovering like memories. Check out the guy on the left loading ice, Velonis renders him with such economical lines, a few strokes and you get the weight, the effort, the whole scene. It's not about perfection, but about capturing a fleeting moment, an impression. This piece reminds me of some of the Ashcan School guys, like John Sloan, who were all about capturing everyday life. Velonis is doing his own thing, making something messy and real. It's a reminder that art isn't about answers, it's about the questions you ask along the way.