The Sea of the Discarded 1935

Carl Hoeckner made this image, The Sea of the Discarded, with pencil, or maybe it's ink, we don’t know exactly when. It’s a delicate dance of marks, layers of light and shadow that build up a whole world. Look at how the mass of people press together. The artist returns to the same face again and again. See the central figure looking towards the sky, a figure of hope, while all around the sea of faces look down or away, lost in the process. It's like one continuous tone that’s been etched into being. The whole scene shimmers with emotion, drawing you in, and making you think about who is being discarded here, and how. This piece reminds me of Käthe Kollwitz's haunting images of war and grief. Like her, Hoeckner invites us to reflect on the human condition, and on art as a way to grapple with big, messy questions. There's no single answer, just a space for feeling and thinking.