Drawing for Duck Piece 1973

Editor: This is Robert Moskowitz's "Drawing for Duck Piece" from 1973, a watercolor and pencil drawing. It strikes me as quite simple, almost childlike in its depiction of ducks, yet there’s a curious arrangement. What's your interpretation of the composition and the overall feeling it conveys? Curator: Considering the period, Moskowitz's piece challenges conventional notions of art as inherently elevated. It engages with Pop Art’s interest in everyday imagery and process, yet it’s also self-reflexive, showing its construction. The layering of outlined and filled-in ducks, plus the watercolor splashes, displays a deconstruction of image-making. Editor: So it's less about representing a perfect duck and more about revealing the artistic process itself? Curator: Precisely. Think about the rise of conceptual art at that time. How could the “idea” of art, its making and meaning, be shown in a piece? It is an artifact from a moment where artists sought to dismantle artistic traditions, where 'drawing' can simultaneously refer to a sketch and an artistic proposition. Editor: That's really insightful! It recontextualizes something so simple, a drawing of a duck, within a larger conversation about the role and definition of art. I guess seeing this, knowing the context, gives a completely different appreciation for what Moskowitz was trying to achieve. Curator: Absolutely, and it pushes us to question the institutional boundaries and the preconceived notions surrounding 'art' itself, which continues to be pertinent even today. I found the seemingly offhand approach particularly engaging. What about you? Editor: Now I see how deceptively complex seemingly simple art can be. There are entire movements contained within the ducks, or rather, what we *think* a duck should be! Thank you.