The Secret 1927

Curator: Yannoulis Chalepas crafted "The Secret" in 1927. Made with carving, this piece has strong ties to the Classical Realism style. Editor: Wow, this sculpture almost whispers of ancient tales and whispered secrets. It feels so weighty and intimate, you know? Like a moment captured from mythology. Curator: It's intriguing to consider Chalepas’s production choices here. He's known for using humble materials like wood to realize such a monumental sculpture. This forces us to re-evaluate those entrenched artistic hierarchies. Is this piece ‘high art’ or is it folk craft elevated? What does that designation even mean? Editor: Material matters, for sure, it always tells a story, doesn't it? Here I feel it, grounding what could be mythological up in the clouds into something tactile, human. The carving gives the subjects such gravity... but look at how the light catches the curves. There's an unexpected softness in such rough-hewn material. I want to run my hands over it, but, of course, I won't. Curator: It does invite a haptic engagement, doesn't it? It really underlines the social conditions of labor. Someone worked those textures. Each groove bears that hand, the human. Not some divine inspiration. Editor: Absolutely. Speaking of divine, have you noticed the elder figure's laurel wreath? Classic stuff! It's a portrait imbued with almost parental tenderness; It just wants to share, to trust. What exactly IS the secret being kept though, that is the real question? Curator: And where will that secret circulate, and through which systems? The question becomes then not about hidden knowledge but rather structures of artistic production... We often neglect those, don't you agree? Editor: That's interesting. I always come back to art’s emotional core first. This makes you reflect, right? Art creates dialogue. Art’s there to pose interesting questions about existence and, ultimately, it brings us to better appreciate living. Curator: Well said. Perhaps there's value in appreciating it both ways – process and raw emotional appeal.