Building a Babylon, Tudor City, N.Y.C. 1929

Editor: So this is Martin Lewis’ print, "Building a Babylon, Tudor City, N.Y.C." The stark contrast and the looming buildings give it such a dramatic feel. What strikes you about this piece? Curator: It’s the stark depiction of urban construction that grabs me. Consider the labor involved: the digging, the lifting, the sheer physicality of building this 'Babylon.' Lewis isn’t just showing us the architecture, but the process – the making and the human effort of it all. Editor: That’s a really interesting point. It's easy to overlook the labor when you see only the finished product. Curator: Exactly. And look at the materials – the rough-hewn timbers, the raw earth. How do they contrast with the promise of the sleek, modern towers? Is it a critique of progress, or a celebration of human ingenuity? Editor: I hadn't thought about it that way. It gives me a lot to consider.