Let’s Be Friends 

This artwork, titled "Let's Be Friends," was created by Rolf Armstrong, though we don't have an exact date. It seems to be made with pastels. Armstrong was a master of the medium, celebrated for his illustrations of women. Armstrong’s art was for mass consumption. His approach reflected a streamlined method that reduced labor, typical of commercial art at the time. Instead of spending endless hours on a single canvas, the artist worked efficiently, ensuring a steady stream of images for magazines, calendars, and posters. The pastel medium allowed for swift application and blending, ideal for capturing soft skin tones and the overall smooth finish demanded by commercial tastes. Armstrong employed techniques that prioritized visual appeal, mass production, and meeting the demands of a growing consumer culture. The final product is far from a traditional painting, existing more as a printed image, designed for distribution. This piece asks us to reconsider the relationship between art, labor, and consumerism.