Union Meeting c. 1935 - 1943

David Feinstein created "Union Meeting" using graphite on paper. The composition is dominated by a large crowd of faces tightly packed within a theatrical space, evoking a sense of density. Feinstein uses a monochromatic palette, heightening the textures and details rendered by the graphite. The visual structure is striking. The artist portrays a collective body—a mass of individuals at a union meeting—where the individual is subsumed within the group. This prompts questions about the power dynamics and the erasure of identity within such gatherings. Note the structuralist interest in how individual elements—the faces—combine to form a larger, meaningful whole. Feinstein's graphic style, with its sharp contrasts and detailed rendering, enhances the tension between the individual and the collective, inviting a semiotic reading where the crowd represents a coded message about social organization and the potential loss of self. This invites ongoing interpretation of its cultural implications.