[title not known] Verso: ?Figure Sketch 

Editor: This is a sketch by John Flaxman, held at the Tate. It's a delicate pencil drawing of a figure. What strikes me is the paper itself - the shape and texture seem important, not just a neutral ground. What do you see here? Curator: I see a direct connection to Flaxman’s studio practice. The readily available paper, the quick, economical use of graphite, all point to a mode of production driven by material constraints and efficient labor. How does this inform our understanding of finished "art"? Editor: So, the sketch is a record of the artist's labor, and the materials themselves are part of the story? Curator: Precisely. It challenges the traditional focus on the final object, emphasizing the process and the resources involved in its making. Editor: That really makes me think differently about how value is assigned to art. Curator: Indeed. By considering the "how" and "what" of creation, we disrupt established hierarchies.