Waterfront c. 1940

Elnore La Caff made "Waterfront" using lithograph on paper. I am immediately drawn to the strong sense of perspective. The artist uses this to create an unusual composition that is somewhat disorienting. It is quite a feat to capture a sense of movement and depth in such a limited color palette, and the lines of the lithograph work hard to bring life to the forms. I imagine La Caff really trying to capture the feeling of a waterfront town; maybe she lived in one, or maybe this is how she felt in one. There is a touch of the surreal in the way that people become like mere shapes in the landscape, not unlike the buildings themselves, and the masts of the ships in the distance. I think of other artists like Edward Hopper who found ways to use the landscape to create strange psychological realities. These artists have a deep conversation, constantly sparking new ideas and inspiring each other.