Still Boats and Moon 2001

Editor: This is Paul Resika's "Still Boats and Moon," a lithograph printed in 2001. The image has this almost dreamlike quality, with simplified geometric shapes forming boats beneath a large moon. How do you interpret this work? Curator: The lithographic process itself is key here. Think about the labor involved, the artist’s hand meticulously drawing on the stone or plate, and the repetitive actions of printing. It elevates the work from mere image to an artifact of process. What do you notice about the stark contrast in materials here? Editor: I see that the boats are bright white against the grainy, dark background, but everything still looks very flat and stylized. The moon looks to be a slightly lighter shade of the grainy background and seems to be illuminated in some areas but not in others. Curator: Exactly. The flatness isn't just a stylistic choice; it reflects a particular approach to image-making. By reducing forms to their most basic shapes and emphasizing the texture of the lithographic print, Resika draws attention to the means of production. How might the industrial history of printmaking inform our understanding? Editor: Well, printing allows for multiples, for distribution and consumption. The fact that this print is an edition also indicates it's speaking to consumption and reproducibility in art, while still referencing this history through the material choice. Curator: Precisely. Also, look at how geometric shapes simplify and standardize nature and machines alike. Are these artisanal boats or industrial freighters? Resika subtly asks viewers to examine our relationships with production and landscape. Editor: I hadn't considered how the geometric nature makes the boats seem somehow both handmade and machine-made at the same time. Thank you for shedding light on this relationship! Curator: And I hadn't thought of that handmade versus machine-made interpretation! The materiality here adds an important tension. It also makes me want to look for other intersections and juxtapositions!