Jersey Relief Project c. 1935 - 1943

Ann Nooney created this print as part of the WPA’s Federal Art Project. The visual symbols of industry and construction are starkly present, conveying a sense of titanic struggle against the forces of economic depression. Cranes, rising like skeletal giants, evoke the ancient motif of ascent or elevation. They harken back to images of scaffolding around unfinished cathedrals, symbols of humanity's reach towards the divine. Yet here, they are tools of earthly struggle. The buildings stand like emblems of resilience. Notice how this motif of human construction is a recurring theme that we see throughout history. The workers laboring, almost ant-like in their scale compared to the machinery, remind us of the collective human effort to overcome hardship. Think back to images of laborers building the pyramids or raising obelisks, demonstrating the enduring will to rebuild and reconstruct, not just buildings, but society itself. In the psychological landscape of this print, we see projected a powerful desire for recovery and restoration, engaging us on a deep subconscious level.