Three Graces 1994

Editor: Here we have Peter Randall-Page’s "Three Graces", a print from 1994. The forms appear to be stacks of natural elements, rendered with a meticulous, almost obsessive mark-making. What strikes you about the artist’s process in creating this work? Curator: Well, the repetitive mark-making certainly speaks to a focused labor. Consider the materials: the plate, the ink, the press. How does the inherent resistance of these materials inform the final image? Editor: So, you’re suggesting that the process itself, the physical act of creating the print, is central to its meaning? Curator: Exactly. Think about the social context: the artist choosing printmaking, a medium historically tied to mass production, to depict organic forms. What does that juxtaposition reveal? Editor: I see what you mean. It highlights a tension between the natural and the manufactured. I hadn't considered that. Curator: Indeed. By thinking of art as a product, we are able to consider the social factors behind it. Editor: I'll remember to look into the materials used in the production of art.