The Artful Dodger 1940

Editor: This is Alfred Bendiner's "The Artful Dodger," a graphite drawing from 1940. There's something striking about the heavy lines and how the figures seem almost sculpted. What captures your attention when you look at this piece? Curator: Well, immediately I consider the physical act of its creation. The hatching with graphite to create such form; it’s a very laborious process. Look closely at the areas of deepest shadow – each stroke painstakingly laid down. Then, think about the social context. Editor: Social context in what sense? Curator: Consider what the “Artful Dodger” is doing. What sport is this image based on? And, do you recognize his tools? Editor: Oh, baseball, with the batter, catcher, and umpire! So, are you suggesting it references not only the act of making art, but also another kind of skilled labor? Curator: Exactly! It is very difficult to do what baseball players do – and people get paid a lot of money to engage in this production! The Artful Dodger becomes both art maker and subject: commenting on labor within art but also without! And given the date, 1940, there's a dialogue happening here about work and industry during wartime. How the human body can be used, abused, and immortalized. Editor: I hadn't thought of it that way. It’s fascinating to consider how the artist uses the materials themselves to comment on different forms of labor and production. Curator: It is all interconnected, how we make, what we make, why, and who benefits. And it’s rendered in graphite! Another material drawn from the earth – fueling an entire work-focused meditation!