At Work: The Art of California Labor

by Mark Dean Johnson

Work is at the core of human it is sustenance, security, survival. Through work we find fulfillment, dignity, and affiliation; conversely, we risk criticism and dissatisfaction and, at worst, degradation and alienation. Not surprisingly, the story of labor--which comprises passionate struggles and triumphs as well as dehumanizing forces--—has figured largely in the arts. At The Art of California Labor delivers a powerful examination of labor history in California since the turn of the twentieth century. This is a visual journey that follows early events and conditions, from the rise of statewide organized labor to the changing demographics of the wartime workforce; from the zenith of the California Labor School to the farm workers' movement; from the disenfranchisement of workers in the service economy to the potent effects of globalization felt at the end of the twentieth century. This compilation of images provides a heady insight into one of the most fundamental components of our daily lives and shows how our collective identity has evolved over time.

Genres: History, Labor, Art

154 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2003

Reviews

[Jonathan · Rating 4 out of 5]

I won this bad boy as a prize in Labor History Jeopardy last summer and I'm happy I've gotten around to reading through it. The book is a high-quality art book that explores the role of art in 20th Century California labor history. In broad strokes, it describes the progression of art from early Romantic depictions of labor to militant social realism during the Great Depression to the postmodern turn under neoliberalism. Even if you're not a huge art history person, this is a decent primer on 20th Century Californian labor history, exploring the contrast between strong labor in the bay vs. Southern California's "open-shop" policy; the legacy of the 1934 Longshoremen strike; the great opportunities under the New Deal and the repression that followed; the racist exploitation of the bracero system evolving into the rise of maquiladoras under NAFTA... In particular I was impressed by the culture of collectivized art in the mid century, typified by the massive public art programs inspired by Mexican Revolutionary muralism and the formation of the California Labor School. There's a wide diversity of artworks throughout the book, but my personal favorite artworks are probably those by Irving Norman.