Black on Black, Pittsburgh 1948

Prentiss Taylor made this lithograph, “Black on Black, Pittsburgh,” without a date, focusing on the contrast between light and shadow, which is a process of reduction, taking away to find form. The velvety blacks pull you into the scene, like a stage set. The steps and railings have a solid geometry, while the tree behind seems more free and organic, like a dark scribble against the light. Notice how the light isn't just a flat backdrop, but it has depth and texture. It reminds me of a Turner sunset, smudged and blurred at the edges. Taylor’s graphic style reminds me of other American scene painters like Edward Hopper or Reginald Marsh, but maybe with a touch more theatricality. The ambiguity is interesting; this print invites us to dream and to see what isn’t literally there, which is what art is all about, right?