Boardwalk Religion 1948

Jerome Kaplan made this print, Boardwalk Religion, in 1948, using black ink on paper. It feels like he worked reductively, carving back into a dark, solid surface to reveal the image. Look at the marks he made. They’re so precise, like he was thinking through the values to create different textures. The sky looks so different from the grainy sand. Then there are the little details, like the lettering that spells out ‘NEW’ and ‘R’, the open book, the light falling on the preacher's face. The overall effect is almost surreal. The perspective is wonky, and the figures are strangely doll-like. The whole scene is bathed in this melancholic atmosphere, a bit like a dream you can’t quite shake off. It reminds me of Max Beckmann, with its angular forms and sense of unease. But Kaplan adds a distinctly American flavor, a boardwalk sideshow with a spiritual twist. Art is like a conversation, right?