Apples 1942

Curator: "Apples," a 1942 print by Alfredo Zalce, strikes me immediately with its muted palette. It feels... melancholy, doesn’t it? Editor: Indeed. Note the visible process of the print itself, the way the lithographic crayon texture and colors build this simple still life. This print points towards the scarcity of resources during wartime in Mexico. This work might be viewed as part of an examination into domestic sustenance during that period. Curator: That’s a fascinating take. I see that, but my eye is drawn to the symbolism of the fruit. Apples, historically, have represented everything from temptation and knowledge to abundance and health. Here, they seem... weighted down. There’s a tension between the symbol and the dark shadow pressing on the fruit bowl and surface, right? Editor: It is precisely the interplay of scarcity and abundance represented by the medium used – a relatively inexpensive lithograph – that allows the artist to examine the material circumstances of wartime society. Note also the table upon which the fruit and bowl are sitting appears sketch-like or quickly rendered – a cost-saving measure? An expediency borne from available materials? Curator: Perhaps, or maybe the table's almost cartoonish simplicity is an interesting artistic contrast to the heaviness of the shadow and solid nature of the apples. They become archetypal images of “apple-ness”. The dark backdrop acts almost like a void, heightening the importance of these common objects, yes? Is Zalce commenting on how war elevates everyday sustenance into something of higher importance? Editor: Or how the materials that the everyday depends upon require rationing, industrial manufacture to a previously unrealized degree. These would have changed not only access but also availability in terms of local marketplaces and community consumption in Mexico. Curator: Well, whatever his intent, Alfredo Zalce certainly gives us much to chew on – pun intended. Editor: A satisfying examination of materiality through something deceptively simple.