Tracks, Oberhausen 1910

Joseph Pennell made this etching, Tracks, Oberhausen, with ink on paper. It’s all about process here; the criss-crossing, layered lines create a sense of depth and movement. Pennell isn't trying to hide the work involved in the making. Up close, you can see how he built up the image, hatching areas to create tone and texture. The way he renders the smoke stacks belching smoke into the sky, it gives the whole scene a gritty, industrial feel. It's almost like he's drawing with air. There's a real physicality to it, a sense of the artist's hand moving across the plate. The overall effect reminds me of Piranesi's architectural prints, but with a 20th-century industrial twist. Both artists embraced the idea of art as a space for exploration and endless revision, rejecting fixed meanings.