Douglas Gorsline (1913-1985)
Invitation to the Lindy Hop 1942
etching, 7 3/8 x 6 1/8, signed
UAM 1992.104

The artist Mabel Dwight characterized the interests of young artists by claiming: "They frankly enjoy painting Coney Island, gasoline stations, hot-dog stands, cheap main streets, frame houses with jog-saw bands -- all the Topsy-like growth of our cities. The subject matter is rich in humor, drama and magnificent pattern." In Invitation to the Lindy Hop, Gorsline portrays a couple in a crowded bar: despite the radiance of the women, the darkness of the man approaching her with his invitation, as well as the behavior of the other people in the background, suggests that no light frolic is intended here. Clothed in outward beauty and poise, Gorsline intends for us to fish beneath the surface of the image for something darker.