Untitled (Skull) 1981

Editor: So, this is Miguel Cervantes' "Untitled (Skull)" from 1981, an intaglio print. It's incredibly stark, almost confrontational in its simplicity. It really makes you think about mortality, doesn't it? What historical forces do you think influenced a work like this? Curator: Well, consider the date: 1981. What were the dominant cultural anxieties then? The AIDS crisis was beginning, anxieties about nuclear war were high, and economic instability permeated much of the West. Seen in that light, a "vanitas" image takes on even deeper significance. What does it mean for an artist to return to such traditional iconography at this moment? Editor: That's a good point. It's like Cervantes is holding up a mirror to a society obsessed with progress and forcing it to confront its own ephemerality. Was the "vanitas" theme popular in earlier times too? Curator: Absolutely. Think about 17th-century Dutch painting. But what’s the effect of reviving this trope at the close of the 20th century? The rise of mass media allowed for broader access to imagery. Do you think this played a role in the artist's choice of subject or style? The image appears more graphic, immediate, and accessible perhaps, compared to earlier versions. Editor: I guess it speaks to the changing role of art itself, becoming more democratic but also perhaps losing some of its mystique. So this isn't just a memento mori; it's a statement on the state of society and art itself. Curator: Precisely. How are social anxieties manifest within a specific artistic practice? Considering these anxieties enables a much deeper analysis, particularly about our cultural institutions, and the purposes and meanings ascribed to art itself. Editor: Wow, I never considered all the different layers embedded in this image! Curator: Art reveals as much about ourselves as it does the time in which it was produced. I’ve learned so much talking this through. Thank you!