Steel Riggers - No. 3 - Bay Bridge 1936

Arthur George Murphy made this lithograph, Steel Riggers - No. 3 - Bay Bridge, with crayon, creating a range of soft and grainy textures. The application of mark-making here is so interesting; it's not about hiding the process, but really foregrounding it. Looking at this print, you can almost feel the grit of the lithographic crayon on the stone, the smudging and hatching used to build up tone. I love the way he uses the crayon to create these strong, muscular figures. The texture of the crayon gives their bodies a sense of weight and volume, as if you could reach out and touch them. The subtle variations in tone make the whole scene feel full of energy and movement. Look at the way the lines build up the figure at the top, the ones around the head especially. It makes me think of the work of Diego Rivera, who also celebrated labor and industry in his art. But Murphy's print has a more intimate, almost tender quality. It’s like he's inviting us to share in the dignity and strength of these workers, their material existence.