A powerful figurative lithograph by Sedrick Huckaby, featuring a line of figures and the poignant inscription, 'you are the witness'.

Sedrick Huckaby is an American artist known for his focus on the human figure and the social fabric of his community. This work, titled 99% NO.31, belongs to a series that addresses themes of collective identity and social observation. The composition features a line of figures standing in profile, their forms rendered with a raw, gestural quality that prioritises emotional resonance over anatomical precision.

Huckaby employs a distinctive mark-making technique, using layered, scratchy lines to build volume and texture. The figures appear to be in a state of quiet contemplation or waiting. The inclusion of the handwritten phrase, 'you are the witness', at the bottom of the composition invites the viewer to participate in the scene. This text acts as a bridge between the depicted subjects and the audience, shifting the role of the viewer from passive observer to active participant.

The monochromatic palette emphasises the texture of the medium, allowing the energy of the artist's hand to remain visible. The figures are grouped closely, yet each maintains a sense of individual presence. By stripping away extraneous detail, Huckaby focuses on the posture and silhouette of his subjects, creating a sense of shared humanity. The work reflects the artist's interest in the everyday lives of people, often drawing inspiration from his own family and the residents of his home state of Texas. This print captures the immediacy of a sketch while maintaining the structural integrity of a finished composition. It is a study of presence, observation, and the quiet power of the human form in a social context.