Tumbling Farmyard 1939

Alexander Oja made this print, *Tumbling Farmyard*, using lithography to capture a rural scene. Notice how the hatching creates depth, building up the image layer by layer. It gives the whole piece a kind of vibrating energy. The contrast between the solid structures and the airy, almost scribbled sky is striking. Look at the way he renders the cliff face behind the buildings; it’s almost geological, as if the landscape itself is breathing down on the farmyard. And then, the soft textures of the foliage, rendered with these almost chaotic, loose marks, it’s really beautiful. The marks around the trees become this wonderful halo effect, it softens the whole tone. It’s not photo-realism but, more like a felt sense. There's a touch of Thomas Hart Benton in the way Oja composes his scene, a similar sense of rhythm and movement across the landscape. Ultimately, it's a piece that celebrates the beauty and complexity of rural life.