River Drive c. 1935 - 1943

This is Bernard Joseph Steffen’s lithograph, River Drive, made using lithographic ink on paper. The textures are really fascinating here; there's the dense hatching in graphite at the base of the image that reminds me of Seurat’s drawings. I love how Steffen plays with surface and materiality; the dark smokestack is so imposing, especially with the white puffs of smoke clinging to it, giving it a ghostly sort of life. The buildings behind are rendered in simple blocks that recede into the distance, while the road with its tiny, dark vehicles curves around the image, like a little racetrack. Steffen’s choice of muted colours, like faded brick red and grey, gives the image a somber, nostalgic feeling. It reminds me of the work of Charles Burchfield, who found beauty and mystery in everyday urban landscapes. River Drive isn’t just a picture of a city, it's a mood, a memory, a feeling.