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Whence & Whither?

ca. 1930
Not on view
In "Whence & Whither?," Power portrays a seemingly endless line of faceless commuters as they descend underground on an escalator to catch the London subway, or Tube, at rush hour. He layered flat planes of bold, often contrasting colors, and used curvilinear and concentric lines, jutting　diagonals, and sharp edges to represent positive aspects of modernity (such as speed and efficiency, the intermingling of classes and genders in urban centers) as　well the negative (such as feelings of alienation and reification). Power made numerous sketches of passengers, one of which includes the caption "THE ROBOTTOMLESS PIT, HOMO MECHANIENS." He carved the design for Whence & Whither? into four linoleum blocks, each corresponding to specific colors and compositional elements. To expand his palette, he layered impressions from different blocks and altered the amount of pressure applied.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Whence & Whither?
  • Artist: Cyril E. Power (British, London 1872–1951 London)
  • Date: ca. 1930
  • Medium: Linocut on Japanese paper
  • Dimensions: Sheet: 14 1/2 × 11 1/4 in. (36.8 × 28.6 cm)
    Image: 12 3/16 × 9 7/16 in. (31 × 24 cm)
  • Classification: Prints
  • Credit Line: Purchase, Leslie and Johanna Garfield Gift, Lila Acheson Wallace, Charles and Jessie Price, and David T Schiff Gifts, The Elisha Whittelsey Collection, The Elisha Whittelsey Fund, Dolores Valvidia Hurlburt Bequest, PECO Foundation and Friends of Drawings and Prints Gifts, and funds from various donors, 2019
  • Object Number: 2019.592.21
  • Curatorial Department: Drawings and Prints

More Artwork

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The Tube Train, Cyril E. Power British, Linoleum cut; color proof blue
The Tube Train
Cyril E. Power
ca. 1934
The Tube Train, Cyril E. Power British, Linoleum cut on Japanese paper
The Tube Train
Cyril E. Power
ca. 1934
Speed Trial, Cyril E. Power British, Color linocut
Speed Trial
Cyril E. Power
ca. 1932
The Tube Train, Cyril E. Power British, Linoleum cut; color proof green
The Tube Train
Cyril E. Power
ca. 1934
The Merry-Go-Round, Cyril E. Power British, Linocut on Japanese paper
The Merry-Go-Round
Cyril E. Power
ca. 1930

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