Ben Rose, Untitled (Power Line, 30th St. Station)

This photograph is a part of a series on 30th St. Station, made in the early years of Rose’s career. It was based on his studies of telegraphs and power lines, and his interest in exploring line as an element of composition om Western art going back to the Italian Renaissance. The goal was to derive formal pleasure from the urban vernacular landscape of Philadelphia. In an attempt to acquire a pure black and white tonality, Rose deliberately chose the background of the overcast sky.

-Teddy Cavanagh, Woodmere Intern 2020