Bulto 1935 - 1942

Editor: Here we have "Bulto," a watercolor drawing created sometime between 1935 and 1942. It depicts a simple, almost geometric figure of a man with a crown. What strikes me is the raw quality of the materials – it feels like a very immediate, unpretentious artwork. What can you tell me about this piece? Curator: Look closely at the marks, the thin washes of watercolor. The artist isn’t trying to disguise the materiality of the medium. Notice the pencil lines underneath? To understand "Bulto," we must consider the means of its production. This wasn't conceived as high art, but as something more utilitarian perhaps - notice the inscription indicating the use of pigment? Editor: Utilitarian how? Curator: Well, consider its likely social context. The Great Depression, perhaps influencing the accessibility of materials, hence watercolour. The folk art tradition that the piece alludes to with its religious object inspiration. The piece invites a questioning of what labour went into similar more complex sculptures, who was making the paint, the wood for carvings etc... This approach highlights the embedded human relationships often forgotten with these types of objects. How does considering these practical implications impact your view of this work? Editor: That’s a totally different way to look at it. I was so focused on the figure itself, that I never considered the artistic labor that was going into these types of materials. Curator: Precisely! By emphasizing materiality and artistic intention, we shift the focus away from traditional aesthetic concerns to consider this artwork through the conditions of its creation and use. This illuminates important cultural context through the deconstruction of what at first appears to be merely a "portrait."