Early Modern: The Great Depression

The Great Depression was undoubtedly a trying time for citizens across the United States. With the financial crisis leaving many people without any sort of job or income, many people were struggling simply to survive. Growing up in Alaska, it was easy to feel a bit disconnected from the history of The Great Depression. In learning about The Depression, we often hear about the hardships that people in cities were facing, or the struggles that farmers in the contiguous states endured, but little about Alaska (at this point we were not even a state). Alaska did play a role in the depression, however, serving as a destination for artists funded through the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Federal Arts Project funded by The New Deal. This blog includes one photograph overviewing the hardships that were present during The Depression, as well as two Alaskan inspired works that were created thanks to federal funding.

Margaret Bourke-White’s Photograph

Art Elements

An important element in any photography is the framing of the subject. Margaret Bourke-White does an excellent job in the composition and framing in her photo. The people are framed by the edge of the photo as well as the mural at the top of the photo. This juxtaposition between the ideal (top) and the real (bottom) creates an interesting, ironic, and heartbreaking photo. Bourke-White also took special care in making sure that the lines in the mural were in line with the perspective of the photo, creating a look that is more appealing to the eye. Lastly, the colors in the photo help convey the overall sense of dreariness that is associated with the depression. Black and white film was still dominating at this time, which I think adds to the aesthetic of the photo.

Capturing the Depression

Bourke-White took this photo while on assignment to capture Louisville, Kentucky after it was hit with a devastating flood. In the photo we see African-American families lined up awaiting assistance, positioned ironically in front of a billboard featuring a smiling family and a couple of slogans that seem less than appropriate considering the circumstances. Interestingly enough, Bourke-White did not take this photo with the intentions of capturing the essence of The Depression; rather, she was just trying to capture the hardships of the people impacted by the flood, consequently also documenting life during The Depression. Bourke-White successfully captured a painfully ironic moment in the history of the United States.

Merlin Pollock Paints Alaska

Art Elements

Color is an important element in this untitled painting by Merlin Pollock. Yellow is present throughout the painting, helping create a sense of unity between the two men as well as the background. Additionally, lighter tones of yellow help create the illusion of light and shadow. This is extremely noticeable on the brow line of the man on the right, as well as the knuckles of the man on the left. The more free form brush strokes and lines help create a sense of life and movement in the painting, which to me, makes it more interesting to look at. This is especially evident toward to bottom of the painting with the fish that is coming out of the water.

Northward Bound

As part of a plan to stimulate economic growth as well as interest in the territory of Alaska, twelve artists, including Pollock, were commissioned through the Works Progress Administration (WPA) Public Arts Project to travel to Alaska to capture the essence of the territory. Pollock spent the majority of his time in South East Alaska and the Alaska Range, capturing scenes ranging from fishermen to miners and landscapes. The paintings and other artworks were supposed to be displayed in an exhibition to promote interest in Alaska, however said exhibition never happened and the artwork was strewn throughout the country. The Anchorage Museum is now home to numerous pieces from this era, including the above work by Pollock. To see more of Pollock’s Alaskan artwork in the Anchorage Museum, you can click here.

To me, this painting doesn’t fully encapsulate everything that is “Alaska.” I appreciate the stylistic choices, however I feel like this could be depicting a fishing scene anywhere. The use of yellow gives the painting a warm quality, which is not something that I associate with fishing in Alaska. I think of blustery rainy days a little more dreary than what I see here.

Arthur Kerrick’s Murals

Art Elements

Colors play an important role in this large piece. Being a mural, the work was designed to be looked at from a distance, which is probably a factor in why such vivid colors were used. In addition to bright colors, strong lines are also prevalent in this painting. This stylistic choice by the painter could have also potentially been due to the fact that it was a mural. Darker tones are effectively used throughout the painting to help create the illusion of shadow on the mountains. I would have loved to see this mural placed in a space that was a bit more open. It seems a bit cramped in this space, with the ceiling lights obstructing the view, and the doorframe infringing upon the bottom of the painting.

Public Works

Arthur T. Kerrick was another artist who was commissioned to travel to Alaska, however this time not through the WPA. Instead of being commissioned through the WPA, artists commissioned to paint post offices were commissioned through the Treasury Department’s Section of Painting and Sculpture, also known as The Section of Fine Arts or simply “The Section”. This mural is housed in the Federal Office Building in Anchorage. Kerrick also painted a mural at the Anchorage Post Office (now Public Lands Information Center) but it has since been painted over.

The artwork that had been commissioned through the WPA at this time was meant to be part of an exhibition to promote public interest in Alaska. However, as stated earlier, the exhibition never came to fruition. This was due largely in part to fear of public opinion regarding the fact that money was spent on the project. Due to the exhibition never happening, much of the artwork was lost or scattered throughout the U.S.

Citations

“Alaska New Deal Art” wpamurals.com (n.d) http://www.wpamurals.com/alaska.htm

Asaro, Janet. “Anchorage Museum Acquires Rare Artworks From the 1937 WPA Alaska Art Project” Anchorage Museum. (18 Aug, 2003) https://www.anchoragemuseum.org/media/press-releases/2003_08_18-anchorage-museum-acquires-rare-artworks-from-the-1937-wpa-alaska-art-project/

Cosgrove, Ben. “Behind the Picture: ‘The American Way’ and the Flood of ’37” Time Life. (24 May, 2014) http://time.com/3879426/the-american-way-photos-from-the-great-ohio-river-flood-of-1937/

“Federal Building Mural – Anchorage AK” The Living New Deal. (n.d) https://livingnewdeal.org/projects/federal-building-mural-anchorage-ak/