Children Playing

In addition to lithography, Riva Helfond began experimenting with serigraphy--a medium once used solely for commercial purposes--at the WPA's Harlem Art Center. Whereas she had been limited in the number of colors she could use in her lithographs due to labor and cost, the ease of the silkscreening process let her employ as many colors as she desired. Furthermore, unlike intaglio printmaking techniques, serigraphy does not require a high degree of control for the delineation of forms. In 'Children Playing', Helfond utilizes over a dozen bright colors to capture the joy of a group of children running hand-in-hand in a configuration reminiscent of Winslow Homer's iconic painting 'Snap the Whip' (1872). Through the loose articulation of the figures' bodies and the surrounding environment, Helfond captures a sense of their rapid, whirling movements.