Lumber Car c. 1938

Paul Weller's print, Lumber Car, is a real lesson in the push and pull of light and shadow. It is all about the sharp contrast between black and white, with the figures rendered using dense, cross-hatched lines that give them weight and volume. The texture created is so tactile, like you could reach out and feel the rough-hewn surfaces of the lumber and the coarse fabric of the worker's clothing. See how the light falls across the sleeping figures, casting long, dramatic shadows that stretch across the scene? It's like a spotlight is shining down on them, illuminating their weary bodies as they rest amidst the chaos of the lumber car. Weller reminds me of Jacob Lawrence, in the way that both artists focus on laborers and their experiences. But where Lawrence uses bold colors and simplified forms, Weller opts for this stark, graphic style that speaks to the harsh realities of working life. Like all good art, the meaning of this piece remains open, offering many entry points for interpretation.