Cotton Ginning Time 1943

Mildred Nungester made this print, "Cotton Ginning Time," sometime in the middle of the last century. It's all done with these really direct, unpretentious marks. You know, the kind that say, "I'm here to tell a story, not to show off." Look how she builds up the textures of the wagon and the cotton with just a few simple lines. The whole scene is bathed in this hazy light, like a memory. Notice the figure reading in the lower corner, leaning against the stilts of the building. The artist uses those vertical lines to suggest a kind of quiet, reflective moment amidst all the labor. It gives the scene an emotional depth. It reminds me a bit of some of the Regionalist painters, like Thomas Hart Benton, who were also interested in depicting everyday scenes of American life. But Nungester brings her own voice to it, one that feels both grounded and deeply personal. Art's a conversation, right? Each artist adding their own little piece to the story.