Faces of the Works

Thornton Dial’s Faces of the Works reflects his longstanding celebration of the unsung worker and the individuals whose labor often goes unseen or unrecognized. Faces emerge from the rubble-like surface, appearing almost ghostly and partially obscured, while Dial’s use of enamel paint and joint compound connects the work to the materials and visual language of blue-collar labor. This engagement with the dignity of working people is central to Dial’s broader practice, as seen in works such as his sculptural work Monument to the Minds of the Little Negro Steelworkers. The subject is deeply autobiographical, as Dial himself worked as a steelworker for much of his life, bringing a personal dimension to his depictions of labor and the workers who shape everyday life.