Grampa and Child

Robert L. Cormack

Robert Cormack's work often deals with memories of his early life in Cuthbert, Georgia, where he lived until transferring from the University of Georgia to Chouinard Art School in Los Angeles, California, in the late 1950s. Additionally, his own experience in the U.S. Navy and as a blue collar worker often influences his subject matter, his style echoing that of the WPA era muralists and graphic artists in which the everyday man and woman, and the significance of everyday labor, are upheld as worthy subjects. Cormack utilizes a simplified composition that highlights saturated colors and bold shapes to capture a moment.

In "Grampa and Child" Cormack depicts a man in hat and overalls accompanying his granddaughter on a walk. In his signature style, he depicts the buildings and sidewalk as simply as possible, suggesting the backdrop without detracting from the scene at hand.