Under the Boardwalk 1947

Harry Brodsky made this drawing ‘Under the Boardwalk’ in 1947. Just imagine Harry, hunkered down in the sand to create this perspective view. It looks like he’s used graphite on paper, taking advantage of the tonal range and playing with the graphic qualities of light and shadow. I can imagine Harry Brodsky, methodically layering the graphite to build the structure. The labor! Can’t you just see the endless repetition of the pillars and beams receding into the distance? It's almost hypnotic. The marks are so even and measured. The lines create this intense, almost claustrophobic atmosphere. But there’s a kind of beauty in the geometry too. Maybe this reminds me a little of Piranesi's architectural prints. It speaks to how art can transform the most ordinary settings into something surreal, or even sublime. Each artist is always building on the work of those before them, you know?