Machine (Anthropograph No. 13) 1949

Curator: Hedda Sterne’s “Machine (Anthropograph No. 13)” painted in 1949 is a fascinating example of Abstract Expressionism meeting figuration. She uses mixed media, creating this otherworldly painting of what seems to be robotic figures. What is your immediate reaction to this piece? Editor: It feels sterile and unsettling, like looking at plans for beings never meant to exist. The geometric shapes and muted palette give it an air of cold calculation. I feel that there's an unnerving tension between the mechanical and the organic. Curator: Precisely! Sterne was deeply interested in how geometric forms could represent the human condition. This work emerged during the post-war period; a time of profound technological advancement but also of deep anxiety about dehumanization and what the rise of mechanization meant for mankind. She employs archetypal images—wheels and eyes and chimneys, endowing the machines with this powerful cultural resonance. Editor: So, beyond mere aesthetics, it's a visual commentary on the era? The almost ghostly quality certainly adds to that reading. There’s a dialogue happening here about what we risk losing when we become too reliant on the “machine.” The museum becomes not only a space for observing art, but also a forum for addressing socio-political issues, and what is fascinating here, is that the theme remains acutely relevant today. Curator: Yes. Sterne challenges the Modernist faith in pure geometric abstraction and imbues these structures with an undeniable aura. And isn't it interesting, from an anthropological perspective, that the symbolism we find in these so-called machines is not really different to that found in totems? Her “Anthropographs” suggest these technological figures take the form of ancient gods. They speak to the human tendency to imbue technology with magical properties. Editor: Absolutely, a projection of our needs and anxieties onto inanimate objects. This painting definitely challenges us to consider the psychology of technology—something quite prescient for its time. Well, it is definitely much more interesting once you understand the symbols hidden here! Curator: Agreed, these machines do invite multiple interpretations. This painting encourages us to interrogate what is so deeply human in a post-human era.