Construction of the New York Subway 1908

Editor: We are looking at "Construction of the New York Subway," a cyanotype print from 1908. The photograph features a platform under construction. I’m struck by the intense blue and the sharp lines of the architecture. How do you interpret this work, thinking about its form? Curator: Focusing on formal elements, note how the artist, Grant W. Pullis, employs cyanotype not merely as a reproductive method but as a means to abstract and re-present the subject. The stark monochrome flattens the space, emphasizing the linear geometry of the tracks, the supporting pillars, and the overhead beams. Editor: So, the form emphasizes the structure of the subway itself? Curator: Precisely. Consider how the strong diagonal lines created by the receding tracks pull the eye deep into the composition, contrasted by the rigid verticality of the pillars. The light, bleached almost white, highlights the structural components, reducing human presence to near invisibility. It invites a reading that values pure form and the spatial relations established through light and shadow. Editor: What does the monochrome do for the artwork? Curator: The choice to print in cyanotype, with its characteristic blue, influences our reading. The striking uniformity in tone underscores the industrial and mechanical nature of the subject. This uniformity can also be seen as a metaphor for the overarching, unified construction and industrial processes prevalent during the construction. Do you agree? Editor: That's insightful. Initially, I focused on the subject matter – the subway's construction – but I see now how the composition and monochromatic palette create a different emphasis. Thanks, I appreciate your viewpoint. Curator: My pleasure. Form, after all, provides a language of its own, transcending mere representation. I enjoyed our perspective.