Bootjack c. 1937

Curator: This watercolor and graphite drawing by George File is titled *Bootjack*. Made around 1937, it depicts two stylized figures. What strikes you initially about this work? Editor: Well, it’s surprisingly playful, isn’t it? These aren't studies in realism, that’s for sure. The poses are almost dance-like, whimsical and defying gravity on this light paper field. I’m intrigued by this visual presentation of bodies existing so freely. Curator: Indeed, there's a definite stylization at play. Considering the 1930s and prevailing artistic styles of the time, academic figure studies often aimed for classical ideals or social realism. However, File opts for a different path here. These figures appear to be cast iron collectibles like an antique piggy bank. He’s drawing a kind of commodified image of blackness instead of attempting to render accurate human forms. Editor: Exactly. The smoothness, almost polished effect, removes a sense of organic life. And is it just me, or does the coloring amplify that? The muted lavender on those vintage athletic shorts only reinforces the sculpture concept rather than portraying flesh and blood. It introduces a soft artificiality to their existence. It begs us to question the history that informs it and even celebrate something else within its intention. It feels so strange, but also compellingly executed. Curator: You touch on something significant – that intersection between historical context and the emotional impact. We should note that even works challenging conventions are, in part, shaped *by* those conventions. File uses academic art techniques but is he critiquing it, or amplifying it? The piece resides in that tension between admiration, interpretation, and its political implications. What stays with me is that we get to keep looking. Editor: And for me, it's that peculiar charm amid complex undertones.