Greetings (Christmas Card) c. 1930

Editor: So this is Arshile Gorky's "Greetings (Christmas Card)," around 1930, made with ink and woodcut. There's something really striking about the stark black ink on the brown paper. What jumps out at you in this piece? Curator: It’s interesting to consider this work, specifically in its presumed function as a “greeting card,” within the broader social and political landscape of the 1930s. Think about the rise of mass communication alongside increasing anxieties surrounding cultural identity. How does Gorky engage with or resist those dominant narratives through this medium? Do you think the almost primitive style might suggest a deliberate rejection of commercialism inherent in Christmas? Editor: I see what you mean. It’s not a cozy, traditional image you’d expect. It’s actually a bit unsettling, maybe even challenging? The angel playing what looks like a guitar...it's kind of distorted. Is he questioning the holiday's typical representations of angels and peace? Curator: Exactly! Let’s not forget Gorky’s Armenian background and the weight of historical trauma he carried. Christmas, and indeed the “greetings” associated with it, may have represented a complicated assimilation to a dominant culture. How might his personal history be informing his artistic choices here, subtly undermining expectations of conventional festivity? The deliberate use of folk art aesthetics also begs the question of cultural appropriation versus cultural celebration, an issue intensely relevant to today’s discussions. Editor: So, it's more than just a simple greeting. It's like he's layering in these complex themes of cultural identity and social commentary within something as simple as a Christmas card. Curator: Precisely. This piece invites us to deconstruct our assumptions about the artist’s intent. Perhaps it prompts us to interrogate our own relationship with holidays and cultural belonging. Editor: Wow, I never would have thought a Christmas card could hold so much. This has really given me a whole new way of looking at Gorky and the power of art to challenge societal norms. Curator: Indeed, sometimes the smallest gestures hold the largest messages.