Sue Coe

The Working Class
1989

An etching depicting a whimsical scene with a pig playing a drum set in the center, surrounded by various objects and creatures including a frog in motion. Below the image, the word "PORKOPOLIS" is printed along with the phrase "The working class" in red ink. The paper has a rough edge on the left side and an embossed seal in the lower right corner.
An etching depicting a whimsical scene with a pig playing a drum set in the center, surrounded by various objects and creatures including a frog in motion. Below the image, the word "PORKOPOLIS" is printed along with the phrase "The working class" in red ink. The paper has a rough edge on the left side and an embossed seal in the lower right corner.

Not on view

Date
1989

Classification
Prints

Medium
Etching

Dimensions
Sheet: 18 7/8 × 11 9/16in. (47.9 × 29.4 cm) Plate: 5 15/16 × 2 15/16in. (15.1 × 7.5 cm)

Accession number
2002.306.11

Edition
Impression 36 | Edition possibly 200

Publication
Printed by Steve Murray; published by Sue Coe

Credit line
Whitney Museum of American Art, New York; gift of Judith Alexander

Rights and reproductions
© 1989 Sue Coe

API
artworks/20996

Part of a series:

Porkopolis

14 works

This is a black and white print featuring a densely packed flock of sheep in the foreground with a factory emitting smoke in the background, under a dark sky. The print includes various marks and annotations, such as a red stamp in the shape of an animal, and text that appears to be a signature and date in the lower right corner. There are also numbers and additional small images in the margins.
A print featuring a stylized etching of a bird-like creature standing next to a tree with the moon in the background, overlaid with the text "EXXON" and "Perfect Crime" in a distressed font. Below the image, the word "PORKOPOLIS" is printed in red, with the artist's signature and the year '20 on the right. A green stamp depicting a bird and a circular embossed seal are visible at the bottom left corner of the paper.
A black and white illustration depicts a grotesque figure with an open mouth from which various animals and food items are spilling out. The figure's body is composed of a dense mass of these animals and items, creating a chaotic and crowded scene. In the background, there's a dark, blank space, and a knife is floating to the right of the figure. At the bottom of the image, there's handwritten text that reads, "In 1 year the average American consumes: 1 1/2 calves, 15 chickens, 3/4 turkey, 7 pigs, 1 lamb, 2 cows." Below the text, the edition number "4/8" and the signature "Sue Coe '91" are visible. On the bottom left corner, there's a green stamp of a stylized animal figure, and on the bottom right, there's an embossed seal that is not clearly legible.
A black and white etching of a cow standing behind barbed wire with a dark sky in the background. Below the image, there is text that reads "POROPOLIS" and "colorado". The bottom left corner features an embossed seal with a face. The artwork is numbered and signed by the artist.
A black and white print depicting a pastoral scene with numerous cows scattered across a field, with a backdrop of rolling hills under a light sky. Some cows are standing while others are lying down, and the image has a textured, grainy quality. The print includes the text "PORKOPOLIS" at the top left and "Denver" at the bottom right, with a signature and the date '69 near the bottom right corner. There is a circular embossed stamp in the bottom left corner.
A print featuring a dark, textured upper section with a repeating pattern that resembles a fence or barrier, below which are two lighter shaded figures resembling lambs. The print has handwritten text at the bottom left that reads "13/30 Hot House Lambs Sue Coe" and the word "PORKOPOLIS" is printed in bold. There is an embossed seal near the bottom center edge of the paper.
A black and white etching titled "PORKOPOLIS" depicting a surreal scene with a human figure whose head branches out like tree limbs, surrounded by birds in flight. Below, several pigs and piglets are scattered around the figure, with one pig standing directly in front of the person. The artwork has a dark, textured background and is signed and numbered at the bottom. An embossed seal is visible in the lower left corner of the paper.
A black and white etching titled "Porkopolis" depicting a grotesque man with exaggerated features holding a test tube with a pig inside, from which smoke is rising. Above him is a banner with the text "PIG IMPROVEMENT CO" and a pig's head emblem. Suspended from the banner is a pig in a harness, and numerous pigs with numbers on them are scattered around the man's feet. The bottom left corner has the text "PORKOPOLIS" and the bottom right includes the artist's signature and the year. The paper has a rough edge on the top and a watermark on the bottom left.
A black and white etching titled "PORKOPOLIS" depicting a surreal scene with pig-like creatures and human figures in a dark, industrial setting. The central figure appears to be stitching or working on another figure under a single light bulb, while a line of pig-like creatures watches from the background. The artist's signature and the title "Stitching" are handwritten below the image. There's also an embossed seal in the lower left corner of the paper.
A black and white illustration featuring a large human foot and leg in a striped sock stepping on a leash, which is tied around the neck of a small anthropomorphic pig. Three other similar pigs look on, with expressions of concern or surprise. In the background, a tiny figure stands watching. The image has a caption "PORKOPOLIS" and "The Boot" written on it, along with a signature and edition number. The illustration is centered on a larger white paper with a watermark at the bottom left corner.

Sue Coe
25 works in the collection

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