Sweat Shop

32" x 40"
mixed media

It is hard to tell exactly what year it is by looking at this picture. No, this is not the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory that burst into flames in 1911. This is a depiction of a factory in the 1990's, eighty years later. With the advent of Unions and Labor laws beginning in the 1920's, the sweat shops went underground. Nowadays, under the aegis of the Global Economy, sweat shops are still alive and well here and in other countries where wages are cheapened but the misery is still the same. The difference is high profile companies pocket a larger profit with designer shirts commanding prices that are typically $40 to $200 each. It makes you wonder where the term "fashion conscience" comes from.
© sol robbins