99% NO.39 2013

Editor: This is Sedrick Huckaby's "99% NO.39," a small portrait at the Harvard Art Museums. The stark black and white tones are really striking. What do you see in Huckaby's work? Curator: Note the emphasis on line and value. The artist's marks are clearly visible, highlighting the materiality of the medium itself. Consider how the contrasts create form and depth. Editor: So, it's more about the technique than the subject? Curator: Precisely. The subject is secondary to the artist's deliberate manipulation of visual elements. It is a study in form. Editor: I see how the composition itself tells a story, or at least asks a question. Curator: Indeed. It prompts us to consider the fundamental components of representation.