Les Chefs des Équipages 1973

Editor: Looking at Joan Miró’s "Les Chefs des Équipages" from 1973, it’s hard to pin down exactly what's going on, with all the mixed media! It has such a playful vibe, but those strong black shapes… I’m intrigued. What strikes you about it? Curator: It is compelling to look at this from the perspective of its production. Miró combines painting, printmaking and mixed media – forcing us to consider the artist's hand versus mechanical reproduction. The silkscreen process itself allows for the layering of color and shapes –notice how the bold colors, almost mass produced, clash with the spontaneous splatter of ink and paint. Editor: That's a great point. How does this blend of techniques affect our understanding of it? Curator: Well, Miró, coming from a Surrealist background, was keen to unlock automatism within his works, in effect bypassing his conscious actions in order to reveal subconscious material. However, what happens to automatism if you're working with multiple layers and modes of application? Editor: It sort of pulls in different directions. The freedom of gesture fighting against the constraints of the printing process. Curator: Exactly. And thinking about "Les Chefs des Équipages," the title alludes to leadership or command. If this composition alludes to leadership and teams, it's also hinting at systems of industrial production and the role of the individual or worker. Editor: I see what you mean! So even though it looks spontaneous, it speaks to the complexities of artistic labor and material culture. It’s much more thought-provoking than it first appears! Curator: Yes! And considering its means of production, that forces us to engage critically with how art objects were and continue to be constructed and circulated within culture. Editor: I never thought of Miró in this light! This piece really demonstrates the depth of studying process and production to reveal an artist’s message.