Workers 1939

Curator: Edward Landon's "Workers," a tempera print created in 1939, presents an intriguing scene. My initial feeling is one of confined labor—a powerful yet muted energy. Editor: Indeed. The formal composition employs a limited palette; blues and browns that dominate lend a somber, almost monochrome effect, which accentuates the planar abstraction. The stark contrasts delineate forms, but within a restricted spatial logic. Curator: These visual signifiers really reflect the social realist style so prevalent during the era, don't they? The hunched posture and obscured faces signal a kind of anonymity, universalizing the workers. Editor: Agreed, anonymity becomes a powerful trope here. But, looking at it formally, note how the bold outlines render depth ambiguously, collapsing foreground and background, thereby flattening the composition in a rather interesting way. It reminds me of some WPA lithographs from the same period, using very little color to communicate more serious themes. Curator: It's more than mere depiction, the upward thrust of the city buildings visible over their heads gives a distinct psychological impression of social striving. This is emphasized further by their physical connection. Editor: True, though such contextual details never exist apart from the art's pure aesthetic qualities. Notice also the strong emphasis on pattern, particularly the way in which the limited color palette is employed. In breaking away from strict mimesis, Landon reveals structure. The very visible grain of the material has an understated effect here too, reminding the viewer it is still paint and substrate. Curator: This is an emotionally resonant piece. Despite, or maybe because of, the figures’ reduction into near-caricatures, they represent an entire class of laborers working towards constructing the great American century. Editor: By restricting his methods and employing a narrow range, Landon shows how powerfully forms affect cultural messages, which are communicated in any picture no matter how rudimentary it might be. Curator: A powerful snapshot of an era immortalized. Editor: Ultimately, a remarkable achievement.