Fantastic Octopus 1942

Curator: Here we have Alfonso Ossorio's "Fantastic Octopus," a striking watercolor and graphite work currently residing in the Harvard Art Museums. Editor: The immediate impression is one of cool detachment—an almost clinical rendering of what could be a very visceral subject. Curator: Ossorio's personal history as a Filipino American grappling with identity certainly informs his artistic explorations of the monstrous and the beautiful within a post-colonial context. This octopus can be understood as a symbol of multifaceted identity. Editor: And the layering of material textures—the sleek surfaces contrasted against the rough-hewn elements—suggests a similar push and pull between refinement and the raw, unmediated world. The labor is evident, isn't it? Curator: Absolutely. Considering these lenses offers a richer appreciation of Ossorio's ability to confront complex ideas of self. Editor: It makes you think about the act of artistic creation as a sort of material reckoning. Curator: Indeed, it's a powerful convergence of personal narrative and artistic process.