Checking it Out is an early work by Allen Edmunds, made when he was a recent graduate of Temple University’s Tyler School of Art. He was fascinated with the photography informed and layered approach to screen printing commonly used by Pop artist Robert Rauschenberg. While riffing on Rauschenberg’s highly influential technique, Edmunds gives us a very contemporary Philadelphia scene of children at play on one of the cities many recreation centers. Space feels condensed as figures are reduced to silhouettes viewed through playground equipment onto graffiti-tagged walls. Color further compresses the space while Edmunds adds the playful touch of extending elements into the print’s margin.