Head on a Plate 4 2012

Editor: Here we have Arlene Shechet's "Head on a Plate 4." It's…peculiar, isn't it? The scale feels domestic, almost like discarded food. What do you see in this piece, especially considering its title? Curator: I see a deliberate investigation of form and the art-making process. The title juxtaposes the preciousness associated with 'head' in art history, with the mundane 'plate'. The material's transformation--potentially clay or ceramic--through the artist's labor is key. Consider the consumption of art object versus a meal. Is it commentary on our culture of consumerism? Editor: That's a fascinating point! It reframes the work as a study of artistic production itself. Curator: Precisely. How our material lives shape artistic choices, and vice versa. It’s less about representation, and more about the means of making and the social factors surrounding it. Editor: I see the piece differently now, thank you! Curator: And I've enjoyed considering our relationship to objects, utility, and artistic intention.