George's Bar, c. 1943, oil/canvas, 31" x 40"

A popular hangout of artists, including his friend Jackson Pollock, this bar was always crowded and often frequented by G.I.'s during World War II. Similar to his painting, Waldorf Cafe, which was in the Studio Museum in Harlem's "Invisible Americans: Black Artists of the 30's" exhibition in 1969, George's Bar deals "satirically with the harmony of people together. This group indulged in drink, hung out in Greenwich Village ... you name it, and they were here! The guy behind the bar is George. George's Bar at that time was the highlight of my social life." 41

The claustrophobic crowd and grotesque expressions of the drinkers reflect Joe's familiarity with alcoholic overindulgence. He said that he often had to "paint himself sober." 42