Santo 1936

Editor: This watercolor, "Santo," created in 1936, depicts what looks like a small religious icon. It has a primitive quality that makes it feel almost like folk art. What catches your eye when you look at this piece? Curator: Immediately, I'm drawn to the support itself – the simulation of aged or even decaying wood. The artist calls attention to the materials, the literal base upon which this representation is built. The very "thingness" of the santo. How does this material presentation affect the icon's perceived sacredness for you? Editor: It's almost contradictory. The image implies reverence, but the degraded material clashes with that, it takes on a different meaning when presented this way.. Curator: Precisely. Notice, too, the evident brushstrokes of the watercolour paint. They are less concerned with illusionism and more about revealing the artist's hand. Does this emphasis on the production process democratize the image in some way, bringing it closer to everyday labor rather than divine intervention? Consider the difference in perception had this been oil on canvas... Editor: I think so, It makes me think less about an ethereal image and more about the process involved, even making me wonder if this painting mimics some other art making material. Curator: And how that "mimicry" interacts with ideas about "authenticity." What materials does it bring to your mind? The labor involved in craft versus "fine art"? Perhaps think about this object as part of a cycle of production, consumption and possible re-use of its material parts? Editor: I hadn't considered that angle, but it reframes the whole piece. Instead of just seeing a religious image, I'm now thinking about the artistic process, the materials themselves, and how they shape our understanding. It seems so connected to labor! Thank you! Curator: My pleasure. Reflecting on material production definitely opens up different ways of experiencing this miniature piece.