Muckers c. 1935 - 1943

John Charles Haley made this lithograph, "Muckers," at an unknown date, and the image is so interesting. The soft gradations of gray come together to create an image of two men working in what appears to be a mine. I can imagine Haley, the artist, carefully layering each mark, feeling the grain of the lithographic stone beneath his hand, patiently coaxing the image into being. The composition feels tightly constructed, almost claustrophobic, with a low-key tension created by the implied danger of the surroundings. You see, there is a box that reads ‘Dynamite’ in the lower left corner. There’s something about the solidity of the figures and the quietness of the scene that resonates, it almost brings to mind the Ashcan School painters in New York, artists like John Sloan or even Joseph Stella, who found beauty and dignity in the everyday lives of working people. It's like they are all in conversation, each adding their voice to the ongoing story of art and life.