American Barns 

Eyvind Earle’s ‘American Barns’ is likely a serigraph print, made with painstaking layering of color. The serigraph process is a labor-intensive method, requiring the artist to create a separate stencil for each color applied to the paper. The success of the print relies on the artist's skill and the precision of their hands. The result is a flat surface with vibrant colors, and the hard edges, clearly defined shapes, and clean lines of this artwork give it a graphic quality, characteristic of commercial printing. The scene shows a rural landscape, where the barns, built of wood, stand prominently, while the animals graze quietly. Despite the simplicity of the scene, the artist has put in a great amount of labor to create the image. This makes you think about the many hands that create the products we consume, and about the value we assign to the time and effort involved. The image challenges the distinction between fine art and craft, and makes us realize the social and cultural contexts embedded in every artwork.