Jazz Age c. mid 1930s

Editor: So, this is Carl Hoeckner’s "Jazz Age," a print and drawing made with graphite around the mid-1930s. There's this dynamic, nude figure contrasted against a crowd of laughing faces... almost mocking, in a way. What's your take on it? Curator: I'm immediately drawn to the process. It's not just *what* is depicted, but *how*. Graphite, often seen as preliminary, becomes the final medium here. Think about that in relation to "high art." Is Hoeckner making a statement about accessible materials and techniques versus traditional, more "noble" mediums? Editor: Interesting. It does feel very raw. Curator: Exactly. Consider the social context. The '30s: Depression-era America. How does the implied labor of printmaking, a potentially reproducible and democratic medium, contrast with the ostentatious subject of "jazz age" decadence? Editor: The juxtaposition is pretty sharp. All those laughing faces...are they celebrating or satirizing? And that female figure, is she empowered or just another object on display? Curator: It's ambiguous, isn't it? The use of graphite, the choice of a print—these imply mass production, and maybe mass consumption. Hoeckner could be commenting on the commodification of both entertainment and the female form. Do you notice how the technique doesn't hide itself? We see the marks, the process. Editor: Yes, it’s all very exposed, in terms of subject and materials. Curator: Which gets me wondering if that is precisely his point! Thanks to its "everyday" nature and capacity for replication, the material enables Hoeckner's critical commentary on artmaking and the art market, itself. I've really enjoyed looking at this, especially considering the process and socio-economic influences at work. Editor: Absolutely. I’ll never look at a graphite drawing quite the same way again.