Face c. 1940s

Editor: This is Anne Ryan's "Face," a small print from the Harvard Art Museums. It's mostly black and white, and the lines are very abstract, but they definitely suggest a face. What kind of statement was Ryan making with a piece like this? Curator: Considering Ryan's engagement with avant-garde circles in the early 20th century, particularly her involvement with the Art of This Century gallery, this print likely reflects a broader exploration of abstraction and subjectivity. How do you think the lack of specific detail impacts its accessibility to the public? Editor: It feels very personal, almost like a secret code. I guess making art more abstract made it more about the artist. Curator: Exactly! Ryan pushes the boundaries of representation, inviting viewers to actively participate in the construction of meaning. This print exists not just as a visual object but as a document of a critical moment in American modernism. Editor: So, it’s less about *what* it depicts and more about *how* it makes us question art's role? Curator: Precisely. The work invites us to reconsider the very nature of portraiture and the politics embedded within visual representation.