Man's Canyons 1936

Samuel L. Margolies' "Man's Canyons" is a black and white print, and I just love the high contrast between light and shadow. You can almost feel the city's pulse. I imagine Margolies walking through those streets, tilting his head back, squinting up at these massive structures. What must it have felt like to be dwarfed by these architectural giants, these canyons of steel and glass? It's like he's trying to capture the city’s ambitious spirit and the way it swallows you whole. The way he plays with light reminds me of the German Expressionists, but with an American twist. It's both a celebration and a critique, full of awe but also a little bit menacing. It makes me think about how artists are always responding to their environment, trying to make sense of the world around them. This print feels like a conversation, a kind of call and response between Margolies and the city.