Untitled (Sacking Grain) c. 1935 - 1940

Joe Jones made this drawing, Untitled (Sacking Grain), with what looks like graphite, though I guess it could be charcoal or conté crayon. It’s amazing how he builds up these soft, almost blurry passages of gray to make these figures and objects feel so solid. The texture is really interesting – especially in the folds of the clothes and the woven hats. Look at the lower section of the image, see the way he suggests a groundswell of grain sacks. It’s all done with this incredibly sensitive touch, layering up tiny marks that give the sacks volume and weight. You can almost feel the weight of them. And notice how the surface is kind of matte and velvety – like you could reach out and touch it. This reminds me a little bit of the drawings of Käthe Kollwitz, particularly in its attention to working-class subjects and its commitment to representing the dignity of labor.