Protest c. 1935 - 1940

Curator: This is Riva Helfond's "Protest," a compelling print believed to have been created sometime between 1935 and 1940. Editor: My initial sense is that this image feels deeply somber. The stark black and white, combined with the dense crowd, evokes a feeling of tension and unrest. Curator: The composition is quite striking. Notice how Helfond employs sharp contrasts in tone to guide our eye, leading us through the layers of figures. Semiotically, the raised flags and the slumped figure being carried suggest themes of patriotism and sacrifice. Editor: For me, the materiality speaks volumes. Given the probable era, I’m thinking about the labor required to create a print like this, and the kind of person that would invest the time in this process given what it is showing. I suspect it might point towards a profound engagement with labor rights. Curator: Yes, there’s definitely a dialogue with social realism here, reflected in its figuration and attention to urban space. The perspective flattens, amplifying the expressive quality. You see hints of Expressionism here as well. Editor: I agree. Consider the production of paper in the 1930s. Access to quality materials would have been far from guaranteed. Every sheet would represent resources and labor—a powerful thought when observing a work of this nature and scale, and seeing it focus on this street scene. Curator: Its engagement with narrative conventions associated with history painting, typically grandiose, becomes very interesting when presented on such a potentially widely distributed medium like print. It brings the themes of protest closer to the public. Editor: I find the contrast between the lifeless figure being carried, versus the seeming passion from the other participants, particularly engaging, prompting us to really consider labor issues through these materials. Curator: The work leaves us contemplating not only the social conditions Helfond depicts but also the role of art itself as a witness and agent of social change. Editor: Ultimately, examining the physical processes reminds us how materials and actions, like protesting and printing, embody both artistic expression and political intent.