Four Seasons: Fall 1941

Editor: This is "Four Seasons: Fall," a print by Harry Sternberg, from 1941. The geometric figures of the skaters and bright, contrasting colours give it an almost comic book feel. It's fun and dynamic! What strikes you about it? Curator: What I notice first is the use of printmaking at this particular time. Why did Sternberg choose this medium for this subject? Printmaking allows for easy reproduction and dissemination of imagery, which brings questions around mass culture, labor, and access. Editor: So, thinking about the wider reach of printed images? Curator: Exactly. This piece presents us with the idea of leisure, seemingly for the masses. But let's look closer at the production—who had access to these leisure activities during the Depression and the looming war? What kinds of labor were involved in the actual production of the print itself? Consider also how this "Fall" fits into a set of "Four Seasons." Were they consumed as a series? Were these "seasons" of life also meant to imply class? Editor: So the printmaking pushes us to consider who it was made *for*, and maybe the real subject is not so much "skating" but "access"? The bright colours could be selling a vision, or a promise. Curator: Precisely! The *means* by which Sternberg creates the image, that is, the print, forces us to interrogate his message and intended audience, and perhaps even uncover contradictions in it. How does mass production of art democratize experience and promote social values? Or does it reinforce hierarchies and alienation through the commodification of leisure? What have you taken away from our chat today? Editor: I will never look at a print the same way. It's not just an image, it's about who gets to see it, and why! Thanks!