See-Saw, Class Systems

This lithograph was created on the cusp of the radical social changes taking place in the United States during the late 1960s. The composition is dominated by the face of Chicago Mayor Richard J. Daley at the center. A word puzzle constructed from variations of the words upper, middle, and lower is printed on either side of the portrait as a reference to class systems. The scowling portrait of Daley and the image’s wordplay suggest the catalysts for this work—riots sparked by protests during the 1968 Democratic Convention in Chicago, as well as race relations and the war on poverty in general.