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Primarily known as a muralist for the New Deal art projects, Richard Haines initially worked as a commercial artist before becoming a mural painter during the Great Depression. He would later dedicate himself to teaching and to painting on a smaller, but no less impressive scale. He primarily took inspiration from California and the native people that populated the West, creating abstract paintings in a variety of mediums including, but not limited to, oil and watercolor. Label Type
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Richard Haines is perhaps best-known as a muralist; and the influence of this medium can be seen in his use of space in The Processional. The painting uses muted colors of a similar color palette, and the people are faceless, lacking even the most basic of expressions. Because of this, the primary form of expression is through space and the way in which the figures and buildings fit within the painting. The procession of people occupies the foreground and lower left corner of the painting. Through this placement, you can feel the women’s direct relation to the mounted white cross in the distance. Separating the procession and the church are strong and more brightly lit buildings that create a maze, through which the women will have to wander to reach their destination.