Exhibit: Workers of the World

When the A Shenere Velt Gallery in Los Angeles issued a call for artist’s participation in a group exhibition titled, Workers of the World, I wasted no time in beginning an oil painting on the subject of labor. The exhibit presents artworks depicting the theme of workers, from their struggles to survive to their labors of love. I chose to create a panel for the exhibit that would depict a scene of workers engaged in a strike. My painting is based on having witnessed such a scene time and again in Los Angeles, but my work is especially inspired by the L.A. Janitors strike of 2000. Organized by Justice for Janitors/SEIU Local 1877, the victorious strike heralded a new militancy and organizational capacity for the union movement that continues to have resonance today.

[ Amanecer (Dawn) Oil painting by Mark Vallen ]

My 9" x 12" oil painting is created on a gessoed panel of masonite, and forms a narrative that describes a scene from a labor strike. Titled Amanecer ("Dawn" - click here for a larger view,) the artwork portrays a group of workers huddled in the early morning light as they prepare for the day’s rallies and picket lines. As is the case with most of my art, the scene rendered in my painting is an authentic glimpse of the streets and people of Los Angeles, yet at the same time it reflects an internationalist viewpoint.

I was deeply interested in contributing to an exhibition titled, Workers of the World, for another reason. To use the term "working class," is to open a thorny, difficult, and often confusing discussion on the nature of work and life in contemporary American society. For many reasons the issue of class in the U.S. has been obfuscated and distorted to the point where many working class Americans erroneously think of themselves as "middle class" - a misnomer if there ever was one. The great majority of people in the U.S. belong to the working class yet, "working class" has become a derogatory label - indicating a crude and unsophisticated individual who engages in manual labor for a living. I suffer no such delusions. I wanted my paintings to help contribute to the reclamation of working class culture in America, instilling pride in and appreciation for the majority who actually create the world’s wealth.

The Workers of the World group show at the A Shenere Velt Gallery, runs from November 6th, to December 30th, 2005. An Artist’s Reception will be held on Sunday, Nov. 6th, from 3 to 5 pm. The gallery is located at 1525 S. Robertson Blvd. Los Angeles, CA. 90035. For more information, view the gallery’s website, at: www.circlesocal.org.