Cigar Store Indian c. 1936

Editor: Here we have Walter Hochstrasser's "Cigar Store Indian," created around 1936 using colored pencils. There's almost a melancholic feeling despite the bright colors, perhaps because it feels like a relic from a different time. What captures your attention when you look at this drawing? Curator: Oh, you've hit on something key. It *is* melancholic, isn't it? And complicated! These figures were once ubiquitous outside tobacconists, meant to evoke exoticism and "the new world" to sell cigars. They're folk art, caricature, advertising, and exploitation all rolled into one brightly coloured package. The base on this one, for "Houghtaling Sporting Goods Guns and Ammunition" only makes it more striking in terms of juxtaposition. Makes you think, doesn't it, about the layers of history and appropriation? Do you think the artist was aware of the irony? Editor: I hadn't even considered that. I was initially focused on the somewhat cartoonish depiction. Now I wonder if the guns and ammunition refer to more violence associated with colonization. Curator: Exactly! And Hochstrasser, known for his WPA work, likely chose this subject intentionally. It’s a portrait of a symbol laden with cultural baggage, isn't it? It prompts questions that aren’t easily answered, which is precisely why it's so fascinating. Editor: Definitely. I thought it was just a colorful drawing at first, but there's so much more to consider regarding its historical context. Curator: Precisely! Art, even the seemingly simple stuff, invites us to unpack stories and confront uncomfortable truths. And isn't that just...delicious?