Subway Tunnel 1977

Editor: This is August Mosca's "Subway Tunnel," from 1977, a graphite and charcoal print. The strong vanishing point really pulls me in, but what strikes me most is how the texture of the materials creates this gritty, almost claustrophobic atmosphere. What do you see in this piece? Curator: For me, it's the layering of material reality that's most compelling. Look at how Mosca uses the printmaking process – an inherently reproducible medium – to depict a space that is both public and deeply isolating. He elevates a site of everyday labor, the subway, to something worthy of artistic contemplation. The print's edition number points to a larger question. Editor: You mean, about reproducibility? How many people will experience this same vision of the subway? Curator: Exactly. This is about access. Consider the socio-economic implications of public transit itself, who uses it, and how their labor contributes to the functioning of the city. The artist's labor, mediated through the tools and techniques, allows us to see the built environment and its social uses with new eyes. Is Mosca valorizing that experience, or commenting on its alienating effects? Editor: I hadn't considered the printmaking aspect as a parallel to the mass transit system itself, but that makes perfect sense! Curator: Right, and where does the act of observing the world become art making, especially when an everyday thing like commuting is reproduced for the art market? Does this change our relationship with the work, the labor of the worker, or the system that supports their work? Editor: Thinking about it in terms of materials and labor has really changed my perspective on this piece. I'm seeing a lot more than just a subway tunnel now! Curator: Indeed. The material reality offers us insights into the cultural context in which Mosca made his work. Art invites this line of questioning; Mosca urges us toward it.