Red Flags c. 1928

Joseph Webster Golinkin made this drawing called 'Red Flags' with what looks like graphite on paper. The way he builds up the tones is really interesting. It's all these tiny, scribbly marks that together create a really dense and atmospheric scene, kind of like a news photo from the 30's. The surface has this beautiful, almost velvety texture because of all those marks. You can almost feel the grit and grime of the city. Look at the way he draws the smoke billowing from the manhole, it's like it has weight to it. And then see how he uses the same kind of marks to describe the sleek, reflective surfaces of the cars, it's a nice contrast. Those flags, signaling danger, make me think about the red flags we face everyday, big and small, and how we navigate them. I’m reminded of some of the social realist drawings of the period, like the work of Jacob Lawrence, which also captured scenes of everyday life with a real sense of urgency and empathy. Art is always talking to art, you know?