6x24 inches
acrylic, watercolor paper, kraft paper, vintage paper from France on stained maple panel
$495

The Jobs of Yesteryear series combines history and surrealism to tell the stories of obsolete jobs. A contemporary glimpse into the past, these mixed media paintings serve as a reminder of a time and stories long forgotten.

This particular Job of Yesteryear mixed media painting features dock workers. Endless bales of cotton await being loaded by dock workers onto steamships plying the rivers of America. This was hard, dangerous work for these laborers with little pay, high risk of injury, and no benefits. This began to change in 1896 when the first waterfront union was formed in New York in 1864. Modern longshoremen mainly work with cranes and containers rather than the dollies and sweat of former generations.

The Dock Workers was created with acrylic paint, and the long-limbed character was cut from paper and collaged with kraft paper. The Jobs of Yesteryear are thought-provoking conversation pieces that will bring an air of history and whimsy to any room.