Pennsylvania Railroad, Conklin, New York 2 - 1990

Curator: Here we have James Welling’s "Pennsylvania Railroad, Conklin, New York," a black-and-white photograph taken in February 1990. What’s your immediate take on this, seeing it now? Editor: Cold steel, that’s the first thing that jumps to mind. It’s incredibly structured and almost brutally industrial, yet something about the tonality feels almost tender. A stark kind of beauty? Curator: The photograph focuses tightly on the side of a train carriage. Welling, known for his experimental approach, seems to highlight surface texture and industrial design through his close framing. He distills this train car into a composition of lines, planes, and shapes. Editor: Absolutely. The way the corrugation pulls the eye across, those horizontal lines giving a relentless sense of forward motion – even in a static image. And the geometric confidence of the Pennsylvania Railroad logo...it feels so purposeful. Are there any subtle nuances in light that are influencing your experience? Curator: Very much so. The play of light across the metallic surfaces is very subtle. There are darker recesses where light struggles, while certain edges glisten with reflected light. Welling has created tonal richness in a monochrome work with the subtle interplay of gradients. It softens the harshness, suggesting the wear and patina of time. Editor: Right, the aging! The surface isn’t pristine; there’s evidence of use, hinting at the journeys this railcar has taken and echoing something nostalgic within myself and maybe within all of us as viewers of such imagery. Curator: It also prompts reflections on industrial America, particularly on railroads' critical importance in the 20th century and how that legacy now speaks to issues of obsolescence, maybe. The train seems stilled and outmoded somehow. Editor: It becomes a symbol of a bygone era. The muted tones further add to the photograph’s melancholy, transforming an everyday train carriage into a study in form, texture, and the poignant passage of time. In viewing and discussing this with you, I find something romantic in its simplicity and clarity, beyond that first coldness that I perceived. Curator: A fitting thought, perhaps highlighting the image’s ability to resonate on multiple layers! Thank you.