The Long Rail 1950

Edwin Fulwider made this lithograph of a long rail with ink on paper. The way Fulwider uses short, choppy strokes to create the figures and buildings makes the whole scene feel like it's in motion. There's a real push and pull between detail and abstraction, like he's inviting us to piece the story together ourselves. I’m drawn to the inky blacks of the train wheels against the stark white paper; the artist allows the tonal variations in the ink to define the form. Look at the way the figures are cropped, some dissolve into thin air. It reminds me of Chiaroscuro woodcuts, where stark contrasts create dramatic effect, it's like a moving picture captured in a single frame. Ultimately, a piece like this reminds us that art is always a conversation, an ongoing exchange of ideas and influences across time.