Bowery Street Corner c. 1935 - 1943

This is Anne de Kohary's print of Bowery Street Corner, and it's all about the dance of black and white. I can just imagine her working on this; the commitment to the graphic, and the world-building in black and white; she must have been thinking about light and dark, about contrasts and the grit of city life. What would it be like to live in this Bowery Street Corner world? The details are rendered in the linear strokes, and the architectural elements offer a sense of structure to the scene. She uses lines to create shading and depth, inviting us into this urban narrative. It reminds me of the work of other artists who were drawn to cityscapes, like the Ashcan School painters; I think she would have seen herself as part of that tradition. It’s a look that encourages multiple viewings, each revealing something new about both the city and the artist who tried to capture its essence.