Untitled (New York Harbor Scene) 1931

This is Edna Perkins' "Untitled (New York Harbor Scene)," a print made sometime in the mid-20th century. What strikes me is the drawing style, all those tiny hatching marks like a swarm of bees, building up the tones. It gives the picture a real handmade feel, like she’s really digging into the surface. There's something about the starkness of the black and white that heightens the drama. Look at the smokestacks pumping out clouds into the sky, echoed by the towering skyscrapers in the background. And those little figures at the bottom, they seem so small against the looming architecture, like they’re about to be swallowed up by the city. It's a nice contrast. Edward Hopper comes to mind, with that same sense of loneliness and isolation in the urban landscape, but Perkins has her own distinct vision. It reminds us that art is always a conversation, a back-and-forth between artists across time.