Female Nude c. 20th century

Editor: This is Gaston Lachaise’s "Female Nude," its date is unknown. It's a striking drawing. I'm really drawn to the materiality of the charcoal on paper. What can you tell me about the process behind this work? Curator: The physicality of charcoal allows Lachaise to explore the female form not as an ideal, but as a tangible object shaped by material forces. Consider the labor involved in producing both the drawing and the body it depicts; are they not equally subject to societal consumption? Editor: That’s a fascinating point about consumption! I never thought of it that way. Thanks! Curator: My pleasure. It is all about deconstructing the art-making process and its relation to broader economic realities.