Wreck (WPA) by Bruce Wallace Ariss, Jr.
Wreck (WPA)
Bruce Wallace Ariss, Jr.
Title
Wreck (WPA)
Artist
Bruce Wallace Ariss, Jr.
1911 - 1994 (biography)Year
1939
Technique
lithograph
Image Size
10 5/8 x 14 5/8" image
Signature
stone signed within image, lower right
Edition Size
about 28 impressions
Annotations
dated in the stone beneath signature
Reference
Paper
ivory wove Warren's Oldestyle wove
State
published
Publisher
California Federal Art Project, WPA (blindstamp in lower right sheet corner)
Inventory ID
AFAE195
Price
$400.00
Description
Ariss worked for the WPA after relocating to Monterey, California in 1935. Though he is now known for the mural and theater works he designed and executed throughout the county, he was also an accomplished graphic artist, focusing on lithography. He was primarily interested in depicting the lives of the working class.
For this composition he’s drawn a fishing boat wreck off the Monterey Peninsula. At once the composition is soft and sharp, as he uses the edge of the litho crayon to provide texture to the sea and sky, while emphasizing the steep slant of the clouds, boat, and jagged rocks, illustrating the force of a Pacific storm at work.