Unemployed c. 1938

Chet Harmon La More made this image, titled "Unemployed", using lithography. The visible process in this piece is really speaking to me; it’s so raw and immediate. You can almost feel La More’s hand moving across the stone. The colors are muted and earthy, with these pops of blue and salmon that give it a strange tension. Look at the way the figures are rendered. It's like he’s not trying to hide anything, leaving these marks and gestures exposed, like a visual diary of the making process. The layering of colors creates depth and texture, giving the piece a tactile quality. The rough, uneven edges of the forms, the way the colors bleed into each other, it all adds to this feeling of vulnerability and unease. It reminds me a bit of some of the social realist prints from the 30’s, but with a more personal and introspective touch. Ultimately, "Unemployed" embraces ambiguity, inviting us to consider the complexities of human experience.