Little Joe 1935

Will Barnet made "Little Joe" using monochromatic ink on paper. Looking at it, I'm struck by the way Barnet embraced the process of artmaking. The texture in this piece, with its varied strokes, feels almost like a conversation between the artist and the paper. It’s mostly grayscale, which adds this serious, almost somber mood, but it's also kind of comforting, you know? Check out the way the ink pools and gathers in the shadows, it makes "Little Joe" feel super present, like we could reach out and touch him. That one little smudge on his smock? It's like a tiny imperfection that makes the whole piece more real, more alive. I think this piece feels like a dialogue with artists like Kathe Kollwitz, in their shared interest in representing the working classes and creating art that speaks to the shared struggles of everyday life. Art is an invitation to see the world in new ways.