Machinery 1920

Charles Demuth made this painting, Machinery, with tempera and graphite, and what strikes me is how he's streamlined the world! It's like he's run it through some kind of futuristic design filter. Look at how he's broken down this factory scene into shapes and lines. The color palette is muted, almost industrial – grays, reds, blacks – but there's this one bright yellow sun, or is it a moon, perched right at the top of the image. It’s a wonderful contrast, and a little bit surreal. There’s an insistent geometry to this work, with everything reduced to component parts. I keep thinking of someone like Francis Picabia, who also loved machines, but was more willing to let the mess of the world seep in! With Demuth, everything is tight, composed, and strangely calm. Art, after all, is a way of seeing, thinking, and feeling all at once.