Shrew 1958

Curator: Immediately, I see vulnerability, perhaps a hidden wisdom. What's your impression? Editor: Viscerally, I see texture, a roughness that makes me think about the labour involved in printmaking, and then there's this stark presentation against what looks like raw paper, or perhaps lightly treated. Curator: Indeed. This is Aubrey Schwartz's 1958 etching and graphite drawing, "Shrew." It's remarkable how she captures the animal’s essence. Shrews, in many cultures, are associated with vigilance, a sharp awareness... that alert pose underscores that symbolism. Editor: The texture you point to certainly pulls the image to the surface of the paper, almost making it break through. Considering its era, right after WWII, did postwar availability of materials affect the selection of technique or even subject? I'm curious about her choices in process given those constraints. Curator: That’s an astute observation. The pared-down nature of the materials highlights the immediacy and the raw simplicity... perhaps a reflection of the times, an artistic expression born of material limitations or, perhaps, of a reaction against pre-war excess. Symbolically, though, the shrew's ability to thrive in harsh conditions might resonate with a postwar sensibility focused on survival and rebuilding. Editor: Speaking of resilience and also relating back to materials: consider etching—repeated biting of acid, resistant grounds. This lends itself nicely to discussions of strength or weakness in an object and relates powerfully to subject in this instance. And here she combines it with graphite? Why add to that workload? What did graphite bring to this specific representation that pure etching couldn’t? Curator: Ah, the blend of etching and graphite! It could be Schwartz sought the graphic intensity of etching alongside graphite's subtle gradations in tone to add both definition and softness. Symbolically, graphite might represent something that wears away. I do agree that labor connects this imagery. Editor: It’s fascinating to consider those combined symbolic potentials alongside labor then… something wearing away produced through grueling means. All that comes through very plainly! Thanks to our chat, it really shifted how I view this, revealing both method and its potent symbolic presence. Curator: Precisely, that convergence unveils the shrew's character through process: vulnerable and perceptive; Schwartz reveals layers beyond what initially meets the eye. I now realize the enduring power held in the simple observation of the humble, sometimes overlooked details.