Minesweepers at Sea 

Editor: This drawing, "Minesweepers at Sea," by Arthur Lismer, rendered in graphite and ink, really captures the turbulent feel of the ocean. What stands out to me is the contrast between the sturdy ship and the rough waves. What do you see in this piece? Curator: I'm struck by how Lismer, seemingly effortlessly, highlights the means of production embedded within the artwork. Look closely at the marks – the hurried, almost frantic lines of graphite and ink. They are not just representing the sea and sky; they reveal the labor invested in the drawing's creation. Consider too the subject matter. The minesweeper, a functional object built through industrial processes and then placed into the deadly context of warfare, reflects a very specific intersection of materiality and conflict. Editor: That’s a good point about the materials used! The sketch-like quality feels appropriate given the subject matter, as though Lismer were on site drawing it and trying to capture a glimpse of a brief moment. But how does the choice to make it into art impact its value? Curator: It’s precisely that conversion which demands attention. By transforming industrial means of production to an "artistic" product like this drawing, Lismer complicates notions of craft, value, and even consumption. The drawing asks us to think about the minesweeper not simply as a tool of war, but as the product of human labor within a particular social and political system. Editor: I hadn’t thought about it like that before. So, seeing the war machines drawn allows the viewer to see how human labor has been changed and translated from being craftspeople into factory or industry workers? Curator: Precisely. Think about who these ships were built for, by whom, and for what end, and then compare that to a common drawing! It changes your ideas on labor, creation, and art. Editor: This has really changed how I see the drawing! Thanks. Curator: My pleasure. Art is always political.