Existing comment:
WPA Poster, ca 1939-42
Traylor never became literate, yet with the help of people he knew, he developed a drawn version of his name that he sometimes added as a signature to his works. Traylor's awareness of significant letters is nevertheless apparent in his careful replication of the "alphabet" acronyms used on posters promoting Depression - era social programs -- the Works Progress Administration (WPA), the National Recovery Administration (NRA), and Resettlement Administration (RA). These federal agencies all helped people by providing work. In an unconventional way, Traylor's art became a literary equivalent -- a personal means of recording what he had seen, felt, recalled, or believed. |