Label
Label for 2014.Art for Social Change:
Breadlines were established by charities and governmental agencies to feed the hungry during the Depression. The titled of this work was meant ironically: it referred to President Hoover’s statement, “No one has starved,” which downplayed the effect of the country’s economic problems. In it, Marsh lined up his figures against a wall in a narrow space. This composition emphasizes the seemingly endless nature of the line, while simultaneously focusing on the individuals.
Though from a relatively well-off family, Marsh was sympathetic to left-wing causes. Between 1926-1934, he contributed illustrations to The New Masses, an art and literary magazine affiliated with the Communist party, and was active in the John Reed Club, an organization associated with that publication.