Market Argument c. 1935 - 1940

Albert James Webb made this image, Market Argument, with an unknown medium. It's a bustling scene; the kind where you can almost smell the produce and hear the chatter, and the making of this image feels a little like that controlled chaos. Look at how Webb uses the marks, varying the pressure to build tone and create depth. The cross-hatching feels almost frantic, mirroring the energy of a busy market. It's like he's trying to capture not just the look of the scene, but its very essence. My eyes keep getting drawn back to the group arguing in the center of the image. See the tension in their gestures, the way the lines seem to bristle around them? It’s like Webb is saying that art, like life, is messy and full of conflicting voices. And it reminds me a little of Jacob Lawrence, how he used simple forms and dynamic compositions to tell stories about everyday life and social struggle. Ultimately, this image is more about feeling than seeing, embracing the ambiguity of the human experience.