Pittsburgh’s John Kane: Life & Art of an American Workman presents Kane’s experience as a manual laborer as integral to — not separate from — his art.
labor
Over 40 Years Later, The Wobblies Is as Relevant as Ever
The 1979 documentary, recently restored and now returning to theaters, is a vital record of the early years of the Industrial Workers of the World.
The General Strike in Modern Art
A massive strike wave in the 19th and 20th centuries redefined how painters, illustrators, and photographers advocate for the working class.
The Ancient Art of Organized Labor
From Egyptian craftsmen to European textile workers, artists have always found strength in numbers.
How the First “Viral” Media Spawned a Peasant Uprising in Germany
Pamphlets on Reformation-era poverty, widely considered Europe’s first drafts of human rights, were printed millions of times in the early 16th century.
When More Than 5,000 Workers Resisted Rupert Murdoch’s UK Media Takeover
The documentary Wapping: The Workers’ Story recounts a pivotal moment in UK labor history.
9to5 Strikes at a Missing Piece of Feminist History
In the late 1970s and early ’80s, women office workers banded together in a labor movement that sprouted up in 25 cities across the country.
How Black Cats Went From Bad Luck to Symbols of Defiance
Icons like the Black Panther Party logo, the “Sabo-Tabby,” and innumerable pieces of protest art go against the traditional Western taboo around the felines.
The Hidden Labor Beneath the Global Economy
This year’s Open City Documentary Festival in London screened numerous films which highlight the humanity and resilience of those on society’s margins.
A Small Town Reenacts the 1917 Deportation of a Thousand Striking Miners
The documentary Bisbee ’17 deconstructs how we perform our idea of the past as it resurrects an unsavory episode in labor history.
Strike at Columbia College Chicago Spotlights Problems for Part-Time Faculty
The historic first part-time faculty union in the nation at Columbia College held the two-day strike to convey to the administration the seriousness of unresolved bargaining issues.
An Artist’s Plot to Unlock Luis Barragán’s Archive with a Diamond Made from His Ashes
MEXICO CITY — In a multiyear project that has exploded beyond any one gallery space, New York’s Jill Magid has reactivated the legacy of Mexican modernist architect Luis Barragán.