Accident (Crash) 1932

James Penney's lithograph, "Accident (Crash)," captures the chaos and raw energy of urban life with incredible intensity. Look at the frenetic, scribbled marks; you can almost feel the artist wrestling with the scene, trying to pin down all the details of the crash. I can imagine Penney down at street level, sketching furiously, trying to capture all the angles and the expressions on people's faces. The dense network of lines creates a sense of claustrophobia, reflecting the sensory overload of the scene. The grayness is palpable, broken only by the occasional glint of light off metal or glass. You can see this is a city of industry – notice the hulking truck dominates the foreground, its crumpled form testament to the violence of the accident. I love the way the artist plays with perspective, tilting and distorting the space to amplify the sense of disorientation. It reminds me a little of George Grosz, with his unflinching portrayal of urban decay. There is such honesty in this piece, it shows the world as it is, not how we wish it to be.