Straw Rake 1940

Editor: Here we have "Straw Rake," a 1940 watercolor and charcoal drawing by Wayne White. I find it kind of stark, almost unsettling in its directness. What do you see in this piece? Curator: Beyond the obvious depiction of a humble farm tool, I see a stark commentary on labor, and perhaps even a subtle resistance against the romanticized views of rural life often presented during that era. Editor: Resistance? In a drawing of a rake? Curator: Think about it: The 1940s was a time of immense social upheaval, the aftermath of the Depression, the looming shadow of war. Farm laborers were often exploited and faced dire conditions. A seemingly simple drawing like this can, I believe, highlight the reality of their work, devoid of glamour. The deliberate focus, the isolation of the tool...doesn't that suggest something more than just representation? What social and political statements were rural artists of this period making? Editor: I guess I hadn't considered that it could be interpreted with such a critical lens. It feels less like a neutral object now, and more like a statement. Curator: Exactly! Consider how the choice of materials—watercolor and charcoal—lends to the texture, creating an almost tactile sense of the labor involved. Does that tactile sensation change the artwork’s intention? Editor: Yes, that roughness speaks to the manual effort, the unrefined nature of the work. Thank you, I appreciate understanding this from a new perspective. Curator: And I've enjoyed rethinking about these ordinary images as quiet forms of protest!