The "Dumps" c. 1925 - 1930

This woodcut print by Felix G. Schmidt is all about these angular, urgent marks. I can almost feel the artist carving into the wood, trying to capture not just the scene, but the feeling of being there, in the midst of this chaotic, forgotten space. You know, I bet Schmidt was drawn to the challenge of finding beauty in the overlooked. He really dug in, didn't he? Making a statement about place, memory and history. Look at the way he uses these bold lines to suggest depth and texture, it really invites you to wander around. It reminds me of other artists who were finding new ways to represent everyday life, like the Ashcan School painters. Ultimately, it's about how we see and what we choose to see, and artists like Schmidt help us to look a little closer.