color pencil, ink; 16×20″
“Work is an unavoidable part of life. In the past, and still some places today, children are illegally made to work in unsafe conditions for little to no pay, missing out on their education, social and family life, and time for development. My piece depicts a toy aisle at an average store. On the hooks are multiple doll-like toys with numerous accessories, each one relating to how said toy would live. There is an adult and a child, the adult, appearing happy, sold with things like money, a graduation cap, a med-kit and more; his price is around $20. The child, on the other hand, looks gloomy and is accompanied by coins, weeds, crayons and more. He is only priced at $6. This shows not only how companies and employers often don’t see their workers as equal or even human, disregarding their well being instead for cost efficiency. Children were often employed for the sole reason that they were cheaper to employ.”
ARTIST BIO: Maecy KIDWELL is a grade 11 student at Butler Tech School of Art studying art under art teacher Mary Catherine Ruby.