Self-Portrait c. 1986s

Editor: This is Saul Steinberg's "Self-Portrait" from the 1980s. It's an ink drawing on what appears to be a page torn from a spiral-bound sketchbook. The bold lines create a humorous and somewhat unsettling caricature. What strikes you about it? Curator: As a materialist, what grabs me is the evidence of process – the visible ink, the notebook paper, the casual, almost disposable nature of the support. Consider the economic realities here: inexpensive materials, easily accessible. It democratizes artmaking, doesn’t it? Editor: It definitely feels accessible. Almost anyone could pick up a pen and paper and try something similar. Does that diminish its artistic value at all? Curator: Not at all! Instead, it highlights the conceptual choices Steinberg made. He wasn't striving for photorealism or classical beauty. The deliberate crudeness, the emphasis on line…it forces us to consider the very act of representation, the labour of creating an image, and the materiality of thought itself. Editor: So, you're saying the materials themselves become part of the meaning? Curator: Absolutely. The mass-produced paper, the simple pen, they are indicative of their time and of the accessibility of art materials, pointing towards a cultural shift away from purely academic art. It becomes about the *doing*, the mark-making, the conceptual framework more than the preciousness of the materials. What assumptions are challenged here by it seeming almost…unfinished? Editor: I hadn't considered the challenging aspect. I initially saw it as simple, but I see now how the simplicity pushes back against traditional notions of artistic skill. Curator: Precisely! And within the constraints of these readily available materials, Steinberg carved out his own distinctive, influential artistic space. The mundane becomes profound, elevated through intention. Editor: This has totally changed how I view this piece! Thanks! Curator: Likewise, it’s useful to reassess how even rudimentary methods are capable of reflecting society.