Group in Shopfront Doorway with "Money Raising Sale" Sign in Window, New York City
I chose this 35 mm photograph by Walker Evans because it clearly parallels the state of our economy today with the economy of the Great Depression. The black and white photograph was taken between 1933 and 1934 in New York City during the height of the Great Depression. It poignantly captures the financial desperation experienced by a large percentage of the population at the time, a financial desperation that much of the country is experiencing once again.
Walker Evans used the horizontal lines of the store’s awning and sidewalk with the vertical lines of the store’s windows, doorway, and adjoining archway to effectively frame the subject matter. The subdued lighting of the scene creates a muted, dark gray-scale color palate that emphasizes the dreariness, the hopelessness, of the situation captured in the photograph. The money raising sign and Vera Vendita sign are much larger in scale than the group of patrons gathered in the store’s doorway. This further emphasizes the sense of desperation captured in the photograph. The variety shown between the intact Vera Vendita sign and the falling money raising sign very clearly displays the decay of the situation.
Walker Evans had a brilliant eye for capturing every-day American life. He had an uncanny ability to “distill the essence of American life from the simple and the ordinary” (Department of Photographs, Oct. 2004). In taking the photograph Group in Shopfront Doorway with "Money Raising Sale" Sign in Window, New York City he not only captured the past but also inadvertently glimpsed the future.
Nuclear Couple
Gretchen Bender unknowingly addressed today’s social turmoil over the subject of marriage 29 years ago in the screen print Nuclear Couple. In 1983, when this 56 by 72 centimeter screen print was created, the institution of marriage was being challenged by a high divorce rate and the subsequent breakdown of the nuclear couple that formed the core of the nuclear family. Today, the institution of marriage is still challenged by proponents of those issues plus many others. The most prominent of those challengers are those who are for or against gay marriage.
The image that Gretchen Bender used to symbolize the nuclear couple is iconic. It is every 1950s era couple that you have ever seen. Add to that the fact that the image was printed in black ink on a white cloth background and the retro effect is complete. The color red was added to the screen print to illustrate the embarrassment and conflict between the many opposing points of view regarding the sanctity of the institution. The graphic is balanced, both heads and faces approximately the same size. This hints that Bender felt that both partners in a marriage are equal.
Gretchen Bender also meant the screen print to protest Reagan’s nuclear policy. The red was meant to symbolize radiation poisoning and impending nuclear holocaust (Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000-2012). This aspect was totally lost on me until I read the description of the piece on its page that was written by the Metropolitan Museum. I attribute this missed meaning to changing social priorities. Nuclear war, radiation sickness, and disarmament are not as hot topics today as they were in 1983.
War Fatigue
The linocut, War Fatigue, by William E. Smith, perfectly captures modern sentiment towards our troops being constantly deployed for no good reason since the Gulf War. Amazingly, he created this 36.5 by 31.3 centimeter piece in 1940. His intention was to capture a soldier’s experience with war fatigue, or, as it is known today, Post Traumatic Stress Disorder. Unwittingly, he captured a timeless sentiment: war is hell regardless of the many and varied reasons it is fought and those who fight it invariably suffer. This sentiment is at the heart of modern society’s dislike of our troops being constantly deployed. We unquestioningly support our troops but we do not agree with the lack of answers to the constantly asked question of why they are deployed.
Smith created an every-man type soldier by bowing the subject’s head and removing any kind of identifying marks from his uniform. Without a face and without any identifying insignia, that soldier could be anyone. Today, that soldier could even be a female. The lack of a background also speaks to the timeless every-man soldier. This soldier could be anywhere from Vichy France to Vietnam to Afghanistan. The black and white color contrast help balance the linocut. The piece is not so dark that it alludes to overwhelming despair. Instead, the light areas offer a bit of hope. Smith also provided variety in using both straight and curved lines to separate the dark areas from the lighter ones. These contrasts between the colors and lines create a striking image of the effects of war that is not easily forgotten.
References
Bender, G. (Artist). (1983). Nuclear couple. [Print Graphic]. Retrieved from http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/190041882?rpp=20&pg=1&ao=on&ft=protest&pos=13
Department of Photographs. (October 2004). "Walker Evans (1903–1975)". In Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History. New York: The Metropolitan Museum of Art, 2000–. http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/evan/hd_evan.htm
Evans, W. (Photographer). (1933-1934). Group in shopfront doorway with "money raising sale" sign in window, New York city. [Print Photo]. Retrieved from http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/190029225?rpp=20&pg=2&ao=on&ft=money&pos=28
Metropolitan Museum of Art. (2000-2012). The metropolitan museum of art. Retrieved from http://www.metmuseum.org/
Smith, W. E. (Artist). (1940). War fatigue. [Print Graphic]. Retrieved from http://www.metmuseum.org/Collections/search-the-collections/210012301?rpp=20&pg=4&ao=on&ft=war&pos=63
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